Thank goodness for the art of compromise.

Without it, East Honolulu would still be waiting at least another year to get rid of a 3,500-foot, above-ground pipe that runs down the middle of the Kalaniani'ole Highway. More than an eyesore, the pipe — with the capacity to carry up to 3 million gallons of raw sewage daily — remains a public health hazard.

But now the city can go forward with its $9 million plans to put the pipe underground, thanks to the efforts of Mayor Mufi Hannemann and the Rev. James Marocco, senior pastor of King's Cathedral.

Their meeting last week helped break a frustrating standoff between the city's Design and Construction Department and the church, owners of the Niu Valley Shopping Center.

The shopping center located along the highway was to be the main storage place for the city's drilling equipment during the extensive project. But when lengthy negotiations between the church and the city failed to result in an agreement in August, the entire project was stalled indefinitely.

Among the issues, the church's insurance company was concerned about liability and wanted a $10 million policy. The church also wanted the right to force the city off the property without notice. The city felt a more expensive insurance policy wasn't necessary. And it found the demands for revocation rights unreasonable.

Further delays seemed inevitable, and city officials even began talking about eminent domain.

In the end, the church agreed that a $10 million policy was not necessary. In addition, the city laid out its reasons why total access to the property was crucial, after which the church agreed to drop its request for revocation rights.

Negotiations are indeed a necessity. But it's good to see that both sides found a way to put public interest and safety first.