{"id":15094,"date":"2023-04-26T13:30:26","date_gmt":"2023-04-26T23:30:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.environment-hawaii.org\/?p=15094"},"modified":"2023-05-01T07:52:16","modified_gmt":"2023-05-01T17:52:16","slug":"iconic-hilo-condominium-gets-permit-to-armor-eroding-cliff-face","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/environment-hawaii.org\/?p=15094","title":{"rendered":"Iconic Hilo Condominium Gets Permit to Armor Eroding Cliff Face"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Above photo: A drone photo of the cliff face in front of the Bayshore Towers. (Credit: Ryan Perroy)<\/sub><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bayshore Towers condominium is an iconic fixture of the Hilo shoreline. The tall, pinkish building clings to the coast on a high cliff point just north of the Singing Bridge that links the town to the Hamakua Coast. The 15-story condominium complex is the tallest structure on the island, having received in the 1960s a permit to build before the county banned future construction of such tall buildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, like so many other near-shore structures across the state, it is confronting the problem of coastal erosion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, the homeowners\u2019 association applied for a permit to undertake a $2 million shoreline stabilization project. In late March, the county Planning Department approved the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn\u2019t the first time the buildings\u2019 owners have attempted to address an eroding cliff face. According to the application, \u201cAround 2004 Meta Engineering proposed a slope stabilization solution that included a grade beam at the top of the slope supported by vertical piers and horizontal tie backs. This solution was completed and has failed. The failed piers can be seen on the cliff face.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2016 another engineering company proposed \u201cinstalling vertical piers on the pool to remove the vertical load on the slope. Their assumption was that if the pool weight was removed from the slope, the slope would stabilize.\u201d No work was undertaken at that time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2019, JPB Engineering \u201cdid a full geotechnical investigation,\u201d including three borings down more than 20 feet. Based on the borings, soil analysis, and engineering analysis, \u201cit was determined that the cliff consists of material that is susceptible to erosion for the upper 20 feet. Below 20 feet (approximately) is stable rock.\u201d Jonathan Brandt, principal of JPB, applied for and was issued the permit for the current project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the price tag, Zendo Kern, county planning director, issued a Special Management Area minor permit to cover the work. No shoreline certification was required, he wrote. The shoreline is situated at the base of the cliff, while \u201call work will occur within the shoreline setback area.\u201d Hence, \u201ca shoreline certification will not be required for the proposed project as it is unnecessary to determine the setback location.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plans and photos submitted to the county show a nearly vertical cliff face that is covered in vegetation \u2013 shrubs, grasses, and palms. The proposed work will remove the vegetation but, Kern says, \u201cwill not alter the exiting [sic] grade of the shoreline setback area other than to smooth out eroded areas that will eventually collapse into the ocean.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
The steep cliff face fronting the Bayshore Towers. (Credit: JPB Engineering)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

The engineering firm intends to cover the cliff face with more than five inches of concrete. \u201cThe removal of loose material will result in the edge of the cliff moving more inland,\u201d the application states, necessitating removal of a garden wall and walkway near the swimming pool and loss of at least one parking space \u2013 although these are to be restored after the project is completed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As described in the application and approval letter, the pali (cliff) is \u201capproximately 30 feet tall with the top 20 feet being unconsolidated lose [sic] sediment, and the bottom 10 feet being rock. The vegetation and loose soil will be removed, followed by an inch-and-a-half \u201cflash coat\u201d of concrete. Soil anchors will be placed every six feet along three horizontal rows on the cliff face, then more concrete, four-and-a-half inches thick, will be applied to the cliff face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnce the pali face is completed,\u201d the plans state, \u201cthe soil anchors will be connected via galvanized steel plates to the concrete.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To clear the cliff face, \u201cmen will move up and down the slope removing all the vegetation and loose material.\u201d The application states that, \u201con past projects, governing agencies required a platform be built and lowered into place below the workers so that any loose material that fell would be captured.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The county approval doesn\u2019t require this. Instead, Kern writes: \u201cThe applicant states that debris removed during smoothing of the pali face will be collected\u2026 No material will enter the ocean.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the project\u2019s eye-popping cost, the planning director determined that it was a permitted activity within the Special Management Area. The letter takes note of a permit issued in December 2004, allowing construction of a \u201cseacliff retention system.\u201d At that time, \u201cIt was determined that the proposed project was considered to be a \u2018minor structure or activity.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the March letter, Kern goes on to justify issuance of a minor permit on the basis of that the action is needed \u201cto maintain an existing portion of an apartment building\u201d and that it won\u2019t interfere with shoreline access or public views. Further, there are no \u201cpublic viewplanes that will be affected by this project.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBased on the preceding information, the Planning Department has determined the proposed activity may be permitted in the shoreline setback area without the need for a shoreline setback variance pursuant to Planning Department Rule 11-8: Minor Structure and Minor Activity.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Patricia Tummons<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Above photo: A drone photo of the cliff face in front of the Bayshore Towers. (Credit: Ryan Perroy) The Bayshore Towers condominium is an iconic fixture of the Hilo shoreline. The tall, pinkish building clings to the coast on a … Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15096,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[338,510],"tags":[7],"class_list":["post-15094","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-land-use","category-may-2023","tag-patricia-tummons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/environment-hawaii.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15094","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/environment-hawaii.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/environment-hawaii.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/environment-hawaii.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/environment-hawaii.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15094"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/environment-hawaii.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15094\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/environment-hawaii.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/environment-hawaii.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15094"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/environment-hawaii.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15094"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/environment-hawaii.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15094"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}