Transforming Haiku Stairs from an attractive nuisance to a spectacular destination could be more challenging than the hike itself. But if there’s the will, there’s a way.

The board members of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply (BWS) on Monday accepted the city’s plan to save the decaying stairway, which runs from Haiku Valley up to a Koolau ridgeline above Kaneohe. Under the plan, the city would acquire Haiku Stairs from BWS as well as some 200 acres surrounding it, and would engage a contractor to “restore, operate and maintain” the stairs.

For BWS leaders, it was an act of good faith. BWS was within its rights to tear down the stairs. The agency’s mission is to supply Oahu residents with water, not manage a rickety tourist attraction. Yet BWS has been spending $250,000 a year on private security to keep scofflaws off the now-closed stairs.

Further, the agency went above and beyond to ensure that the public was fully involved in Monday’s decision: It livestreamed the meeting and accepting testimony from thousands of people by phone, in person via video, and email. Agencies that bypass the Sunshine Law, like the Honolulu Police Commission, should not be allowed to claim that public access can’t be accommodated.

The Haiku deal comes with a deadline, and rightfully so. If the city doesn’t complete the acquisition in 18 months, BWS can remove the stairway. Given that the stairs — which wasn’t built for public use in the first place — were closed in 1987 and argued over ever since, BWS should hold firm to those conditions.

If Haiku Stairs does reopen, access should be controlled so as not to burden the neighbors living near the entrance. The operation should be self-sustaining, and never subsidized by Oahu taxpayers. Security should be tight, with trespassers paying steep fines for unauthorized access. And obviously, the stairs should be restored to be as safe as possible.

Meeting these conditions could require a substantial investment, with an entrance fee to match. One Haiku Stairs supporter suggested charging $50 per person. If that’s what it takes, so be it.

The Haiku Stairs offers an unparalleled experience, a magnificent climb to a peak on Puu Keahiakahoe ridge. There is no doubt that if it reopens, hordes of social-media-driven hikers will descend on it — they already do now. The stairs cannot be allowed to become yet another expensive liability for the city, which has enough on its plate.