HONOLULU -- The city has decided to the crumbling seawall around the historic Waikiki Natatorium war memorial and is enough of a threat to require immediate action.

Beachgoer Noelle Lau remembers coming to the natatorium as a child with her mother. She said her mom used to swim in the saltwater pool. Now, she comes to the beach with her young children. She worries about the hazards of the crumbling seawall.

“I know children do go and swim right by it to see all the algae growing, but I think my bigger concern is when they fix it, what will be our beach access be like and how long will it take,” said Lau.

On Monday, a contractor will begin erecting scaffolding around the perimeter of the pool.

Crews will install buoys 20 feet around the natatorium in order to keep swimmers a safe distance away. Workers will use hand tools to remove cracked concrete from the lip of the seawall and use rafts. It is expected to take a week to complete, if weather conditions are favorable.

The city says it is still working on an environmental impact statement that will examine the impact of demolishing the structure and restoring the beach, and possibly saving part of the historic arch and moving it inland.

“At some point something has to happen,” said retired Alexander & Baldwin executive Allen Doane.

He was enjoying time at the beach with friends -- the first time in 30 years he had been down to the spot.

“In today's world, costs mean a lot. I do know, that all things being equal, it would be better right now maybe not to have it here, and to have a small memorial for those who the memorial was for in the first place,” said Doane.

For about a half a century, the fate of the historic war memorial has split the community.

Mayor Jeremy Harris tried to renovate it, but Mayor Mufi Hanneman later reversed that decision saying the repairs would be too costly.

The natatorium environmental impact statement is not expected to be complete until sometime next year.

The city plans to post signs warning the public about the emergency work, which should take about a week depending on the weather conditions.