Mayor Kirk Caldwell on Friday reiterated his call to have city officials discuss with Honolulu Board of Water Supply representatives the possibility of taking over the contentious Haiku Stairs from the semi-autonomous agency and having it refurbished and used — legally — by hikers in order to save it from being torn down.

The asset has been officially closed to the public for decades. But it is still visited daily by throngs of hiking enthusiasts who ignore both security guards and trespassing signs, much to the chagrin of area residents who have complained for years about hikers trespassing on and vandalizing their properties while traveling to and from the stairs.

A final environmental impact statement released Thursday restates the board’s intent to either remove the stairs or turn them over to another government entity because its primary objective is to rid its ratepayers of the liability and ongoing security costs tied to retaining the asset.

The board currently pays about $250,000 annually for security services to deter hikers from the trail, the EIS said.

Caldwell, in a telephone interview Friday from Washington, D.C., where he was attending a conference, said it would be a waste to have the stairs torn down. He hopes that a managed access plan could be put in place that would satisfy neighbors.

“This is a great asset to the people of Oahu, and it should be managed in a much better way — with an entry point that doesn’t impact the neighborhood where people illegally enter right now,” Caldwell said. That might involve connecting with a nearby park that would have parking, restroom facilities and an entry that would divert the crowds from intruding on residences, he said.

No details could be worked out unless there was an agreement, the mayor said, but he’d like to begin the process of discussing a transfer, even if he won’t be around to finish a transfer if one is one agreed upon. Caldwell’s second term is up in a year, and term limits prohibit him from seeking a third consecutive term.

The stairs could be managed by a third party or possibly by the city with vendors, as is the case at Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Caldwell said. Admission is charged to visitors while kamaaina who can produce proof of residency can enter for free, although there is a $1 parking fee for all who use the lot.

Just like at Hanauma Bay, fees could be used to pay for security, maintenance and liability costs, the mayor said.

At that facility the city set up a dedicated fund that has raised so much money that the nonprofit Friends of Hanauma Bay has questioned repeatedly whether money has been diverted elsewhere.

To address safety concerns for those who may be asked to rescue lost or injured hikers, visitors may be asked to wear wristbands with chips to make it easier for first responders to locate them, he said.

“It would be a way to manage who’s up there and where they are,” Caldwell said.

City Deputy Managing Director Georgette Deemer said the city is set to soon issue a request for information to solicit ideas from third parties interested and able to renovate the stairs and manage access.

City Council Chairman Ikaika Anderson, who represents the Windward area, holds a position similar to Caldwell’s on the matter. Anderson, however, said he wants to see a decision made in the next two to three months.

“My position has long been that I’m comfortable with reopening public access to the stairs provided that we could do so through a controlled access point that would allow managed hiking,” Anderson said.

“If we can’t do that within the next few months, I think we’re done, we tear the stairs down, that’s it,” Anderson said, adding that residents in the area have suffered enough. “I don’t think we have an indefinite amount of time to work this out.”

The final EIS from Group 70 states, “While transferring the property along with Haiku Stairs to another city agency may emerge as a viable alternative, it has not yet been adequately developed. Accordingly, the Proposed Action is to completely remove Haiku Stairs. Removing Haiku Stairs will involve physical extraction of all stair segments from the base of the valley, along the ridgeline, then to the top of the ridge and beyond to the Moanalua Saddle Stairs.”

The board previously estimated it would cost up to $1 million to dismantle the stairs.

BWS spokeswoman Kathleeen Pahinui said the board has been waiting on the final EIS before discussing the location’s fate. A final decision could come in April or May, she said, stressing that no talks have been held with the city because no decision has been made.

“The BWS worked hard at evaluating each alternative thoroughly and providing an accessible process for public comment through small-group and public meetings with various agencies, landowners, community organizations, and individuals with an interest in this project,” agency Manager and Chief Engineer Ernest Lau said in a release.

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