HILO — The Honomu Park banyan tree that fell Sunday will cost the county tens of thousands of dollars, Hawaii County’s managing director said.
Wil Okabe said damages reached an estimated $16,000-$20,000, including replacement of two telephone poles, time for county crews to clear the roadway and damage caused to two vehicles hit by the tree.
The bill for trimming the tree — before it fell — was $65,000, Okabe said.
Damage to the Honomu gym could have been much worse, he said, noting that the gym-repair estimate is about $2,000-$3,000. The tree fortuitously missed a direct hit to the gym.
The check to pay for trimming the tree was temporarily canceled, Okabe said.
But the county might reissue the check, he said, because the tree-trimming contractor appears to have followed county specifications and the advice of a respected Oahu arborist.
Some Honomu residents questioned whether the iconic banyan tree at Honomu Park might fall after it was trimmed by a professional trimming company because it seemed top-heavy.
Arborist Steve Nimz of Honolulu told the Tribune-Herald that he offered assurances that the tree was stable and unlikely to fall.
But on Sunday, its shallower-than-expected roots ripped out of the ground and the tree fell.
“I haven’t been able to sleep the last couple of nights,” Nimz said Tuesday. “It makes me sick.”
Okabe said Nimz “was the community choice” for an arborist who could devise a plan to save the trees because of his reputation. Okabe said Nimz volunteered his time and advice and was not paid by the county.
Now, a decision awaits about the fate of the park’s remaining banyan.
“We will be cutting down that tree if there’s any indication that it’s a hazard,” Okabe said.
In his 40-plus years of doing tree assessments, Nimz said, no tree has ever fallen after he gave assurances about it.
But, he said, “all trees have the potential to fail.” Arborists try to “reduce the risk as much as we can,” he said.
Honomu resident Carlton Loving said he “could hear what sounded like a weird sort of like thunder, like fireworks” when the tree fell.
He looked out the window and could see that the tree canopy was gone.
When the power went out, he called an emergency dispatcher, who asked him to block traffic and try to keep people safe.
Nimz said he thinks the second tree will be stable, if left as is.
“The second tree is a much more balanced tree,” he said. “We didn’t do any root pruning on that tree. I have a comfort zone it’s OK.”
But, Okabe said, “we are seriously considering cutting down the second tree.”
The fate of the trees has been an ongoing community debate — and there are hard feelings in need of healing in Honomu.
“Part of that healing is already taking place,” Loving said. Eventually, he said, “I think community resilience will kind of raise its head.”
Email Jeff Hansel at jhansel@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
