The historic Walker Estate, listed on both the state and national registers, is targeted for demolition in a proposal to build a cluster development in its stead.

It's absurd that demolition could be contemplated with a site of this stature, but that's the nature of the state's weak historic preservation laws.

A request for permits to demolish the century-old stately home and a caretaker's cottage on the Nu'uanu property has been submitted. The city must now see that a full public discussion takes place through the environmental assessment process that is required before such a permit can be issued.

That's the easy part. The more complicated, but equally critical, task is to have the state get a better grasp on its responsibility to maintain these historic sites that are so important to Hawai'i's sense of place.

It's ironic that the Walker Estate is at risk: The Historic Hawai'i Foundation set up its first offices in a building on the property. The listing on the national register highlights the structural details of the home and the grounds, including what is known as the state's oldest formal Japanese gardens. In more recent decades, the home has been used as a wedding venue, a film set and a conference center.

What none of these notations includes is its importance as one of the last architectural relics of turn-of-the-century Hawai'i. Once such buildings are destroyed, nothing like them will be built again.

Neither does the national list do much to safeguard a historic site that's privately owned. The National Register of Historic Places is essentially a tool to recognize historical significance of a resource, and except for some tax incentives that encourage its restoration, the protection of that resource is left to states.

Our state law needs to be revisited, with the mission of underscoring the importance of preserving historic sites. Property tax relief provided at the county level isn't enough. The obligation to maintain the site in exchange for those tax breaks must be strengthened, and the state agency charged with overseeing their protection must be adequately staffed.

In the meantime, let's hope the state, working with preservationists and others, will find a way to preserve the Walker residence in a way that makes economic sense. Otherwise, we surely will regret its loss.