Illegal seawall to be removed

HILO — A property owner has agreed to tear down an illegal seawall built on the shore of Hilo’s Lalakea Pond.

Correspondence between the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and Robert Iopa says that the rock-and-mortar wall and accompanying fill must be removed in 180 days.

Iopa signed the document May 20. No work had appeared to have begun as of Monday.

Iopa, a Honolulu architect who grew up in Hilo, built the seawall on the edge of his property after receiving a “Friends of the Park” agreement from Hawaii County. The pond is considered part of Leleiwi Beach Park. Part of the wall stretched onto public land.

The agreement authorized construction of the wall, which replaced a dilapidated wall that was there before, and removal of some ironwood trees on the shoreline.

Since the wall sat on or across the shoreline, a special management area permit would have been required.

But no permits were filed, and some park users submitted complaints with the county Planning Department about the shoreline alteration.

The Planning Department, which ordered work to halt last March, and DLNR responded with an investigation.

It’s not clear if any fines were issued.

Iopa and a DLNR spokesperson did not immediately respond to additional inquiries.

The agreement says Iopa must use silt containment devices and barriers if necessary to protect the pond during demolition. Work is required to occur during fair weather and low tide.

Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.