The state Office of Hawaiian Affairs has raised concerns about recent discoveries of human remains at the site of Kawaiaha'o Church's planned $17.5 million multipurpose center.

In a May 27 letter to the head of the state Historic Preservation Division, OHA Administrator Clyde Namu'o recommended that the church conduct an archaeological inventory survey to identify and document iwi, or bones, and contact family descendants before going ahead with the project.

Kawaiaha'o officials did not conduct such a study before starting work on the 30,000-square-foot building this year on the makai side of the church. Construction came to a halt in March after workers unearthed 69 human remains, most of which were intact coffin burials.

"In light of these recent findings, OHA would like to express serious concerns regarding the ongoing discoveries and treatment of unmarked burial sites on the Kawaiaha'o Church property," Namu'o wrote.

"The most recent developments at Kawaiaha'o need to be addressed in a pono way," he wrote.

OHA provided a $1 million grant to Kawaiaha'o in 2006 for the new building.

It also provided technical assistance to the church on the handling of iwi during the early planning stages of the building.

OHA's concerns come as the state historic preservation division and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources are crafting new guidelines for the project. Those guidelines, which include additional studies to identify whether more remains exist at the construction site, will be made public as early as this week.

When asked about OHA's letter, Kawaiaha'o officials e-mailed the following response:

"While the church is aware of the letter, it was written to the administrator of the State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD). The church has received no requests from OHA or SHPD for comment. We are therefore awaiting a response from SHPD or a request from the agency for our comments."

Called "the Westminster Abbey of Hawai'i," Kawaiaha'o is one of the state's oldest and best known churches. It is listed on the national and state registers of historic places and is the final resting place of King William Charles Lunalilo.

The new multipurpose center — which will include classrooms, a $1 million kitchen, a nursery and office facilities — replaces the church's old Likeke Hall, which was built on a former cemetery.

The Kawaiaha'o iwi discovery is one of the largest on O'ahu, exceeding those found at Wal-Mart's Ke'eaumoku location and the Ward Village Shops in Kaka'ako whose building plans were delayed for months.

In his letter, Namu'o said OHA has learned that DLNR and the state Department of Health also are considering decertifying a portion of the cemetery beneath the new building.

That would allow the church to disinter the bodies and resume construction, pending approval from the Health Department.

Namu'o said OHA "would strongly advise against this course of action."

"Given the utmost respect for iwi kupuna within the Native Hawaiian community, our 'most cherished possession,' according to reknown Hawaiian scholar Mary Kawena Pukui, the sanctity of the Kawaiaha'o Church cemetery must remain intact and revered," Namu'o wrote.