Disaster Recovery, International Affairs, and Planning Committee Meeting - September 30, 2026: South Maui Community Plan Update Deliberations

The Disaster Recovery, International Affairs, and Planning Committee (DRIP) of the Maui County Council met on September 30, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. (HST) to continue reviewing Bill 108 (2026), which proposes adopting the updated South Maui Community Plan. The meeting focused on Section 3 (Growth Framework), new community plan designations, sub-area maps, and action item revisits. No final legislative action was taken on Bill 108; the main motion to recommend passage on first reading carried over from the previous meeting. The committee recessed at approximately 3:50 p.m. and will reconvene on Friday, October 2, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Kay Anderson (President of Wailea 808) urged the county not to redevelop the Wailea Golf property until the applicant demonstrates safe service with adequate water, wastewater, traffic, and emergency evacuation analyses. She requested preservation of the golf course as open space and retention of existing land use designations pending a better alternative.
• Christian Chan (representing Wailea Golf) expressed support for the proposed plan for the property, describing extensive community engagement and a plan that addresses transportation, workforce housing, water, and cultural resources. He emphasized that the community plan is only the first of several discretionary steps needed for development.
• Johan Law (testifying on his own behalf) praised the presentation and urged consistency in land use designations across all community plan areas to avoid confusion for GIS users and planners. He noted that the designation for Palawea might better fit public/quasi-public; also flagged map accuracy concerns and suggested considering transit-oriented corridor for the Ma‘alaea Triangle.
• Travis Liggett (individual) requested amending language about cesspools to injection wells in Ma‘alaea, provided drawings of injection well locations, and advocated for a community facilities district to connect cesspools to the Kīhei treatment plant. He also shared personal health experiences from his work.
• Mike Moran (CPAC member and Kihei Community Association board member, testifying as an individual) advocated changing the Pōʻoleni Promenade (80 acres in North Kīhei) designation from “small town center” back to “residential” to ensure housing for residents. He supported potential relocation of a fire station to that area.
• Representative of the Royal Pentecost Kingdom (unidentified testifier) asserted that the county lacks authority over royal patented lands and that land commission awards must be properly reflected on TMK records. He also criticized the use of cultural practitioners to bless developments.
• Amy Schwin (owner in Kīhei-Wailea) raised concerns about irreversible loss of open space from the Wailea Golf plan, cumulative infrastructure burdens (water, roads, wastewater, emergency evacuation), and cited the 2025 tsunami as an example of severe evacuation failures. She called for a cumulative infrastructure analysis before additional density.
• Caller 4945 (individual) opposed new development, citing insufficient water and infrastructure, and advocated for preserving agriculture and conservation. He criticized the planning process as too developer-friendly.
• James Langford (individual) urged the committee to ensure that developers and banks involved in South Maui are vetted for connections to criminal activities (e.g., Epstein-related files) and that money laundering or human trafficking does not taint projects.
• Rory Frampton (land use consultant for Pā‘iakala and Kōʻonoulu ranches) discussed two projects: the North Kīhei/Ma‘alaea residential area (requesting phased infrastructure policies) and the Ka‘ōkea industrial area (about 80 acres above the wastewater treatment plant, outside the urban growth boundary, supported by a concurrent Maui Island Plan amendment). He requested policy language allowing phased implementation of drainage and roadways.
• Robert Bence (individual) opposed further development in South Maui, citing lack of water and infrastructure, and expressed disappointment that developers are designated as resource persons while community members like Professor Mayer and Mr. Moran are not.

Discussion Items

• Presentation on Community Plan Designations: Planning staff presented the updated designations (e.g., Rural Residential, Residential, Neighborhood Center, Small Town Center, Transit-Oriented Corridor, etc.) and conducted a quiz to familiarize the committee with each designation's characteristics and intended uses. The presentation also demonstrated the interactive online map showing changes from the previous Kihei-Mākena Community Plan.
• Sub-Area Review (Section 3 Growth Framework): The committee began reviewing six sub-areas of the South Maui Community Plan map. For each sub-area, a new table (introduced by the Maui Planning Commission) summarizes moku, ahupua‘a, streams/goalches, size, housing units, population, visitor counts, culturally and environmentally significant features, government facilities, future growth areas, and other information. The committee discussed:
  • The need for consistent terminology (e.g., “area” vs. “region”).
  • Inclusion or removal of the “Rural Village” designation (no such areas exist in South Maui; CPAC recommended removal, but some members favored keeping it for consistency across plans).
  • Clarifications on vacancy data (from American Community Survey, classified as “vacant housing” – some members suggested “transient” or “second homes” might be more accurate).
  • Importance of identifying streams and gulches for flood mitigation; the Department of OEV Resources agreed to research unnamed gulches in sub-area six (Ahihi-Kīna‘u).
  • The need to improve map readability (e.g., adding abbreviations for designations on printed maps, and possibly reorganizing the booklet so sub-area tables face their maps).
  • Potential changes to the Ma‘alaea Triangle designation (from Transit-Oriented Corridor to Small Town Center, as recommended by CPAC and Planning Commission) and the ability to accommodate a transit hub within Small Town Center.
  • Discussion about the North Kīhei-Ma‘alaea area: a possible wastewater treatment plant (private, serving a public good) on agriculture land, managed retreat for shoreline areas, and the need for a comprehensive north-south collector road (bypass) that connects to Veterans Highway. The committee considered securing easements before development, but deferred detailed policy discussion to a later date.
  • The Honua‘ula and Wailea 670 designations were noted as based on adopted maps.
• Action Item Revisits with Director Molina (DPW): The committee considered amendments to several action items:
  • 1.03 (North-South Collector Road and Kīhei Bikeway): Split into 1.03A (new road phases with estimated $110 million) and 1.03B (improving Kenolio Road northward, estimated $40 million). Both remain high priority, with county/state/federal funding. Motion passed 8-0.
  • 4.03 (MS4 Stormwater Management Plan): Deleted 4.03A and 4.03B and replaced with new action items focused on developing and implementing site-specific Best Management Practices for county facilities in South Maui (plan = high priority, program = high priority; both long-term). Two separate motions passed 9-0.
  • 4.26 (No change): No objection, kept as is.
  • 4.27 (Substantial Improvement Regulations): Amended language to “improve oversight of repairs and improvements to properties in special flood hazard areas to improve enforcement of substantial improvement regulations under the National Flood Insurance Program.” Removed the 20-year timeframe (DPW indicated difficulty administering the current 10-year). Motion passed 9-0.
  • 4.28 (Flood Mitigation Projects): Amended to “pursue funding opportunities for community-wide flood mitigation projects, prioritize nature-based solutions and natural infrastructure,” added MEMA as co-lead and state as a funding source. Motion passed 9-0.
  • 4.29 (Pilot Project): Initially recommended for deletion as covered by 4.02A/B, but CPAC chair and planning staff favored keeping a separate pilot to show progress. Deferred further discussion; DPW may propose revised language later.
  • 5.04 (Cultural Advisory Engagement): Deleted after CPAC chair revealed it was included without proper discussion or record. Motion passed 9-0.

Key Outcomes

• Votes on Action Item Amendments (all passed unanimously with 9 ayes, 0 noes):
  • Amendment to Action 1.03: split into 1.03A ($110 million) and 1.03B ($40 million), high priority, DPW lead, funding from county/state/federal.
  • Amendment to Action 4.03: replace with two new actions – develop a site-specific BMP plan for county facilities in South Maui (high priority, long-term, DPW lead, cost TBD, county funds) and implement that plan (same classification).
  • Amendment to Action 4.27: improve oversight of repairs/improvements in special flood hazard areas to enforce substantial improvement regulations under NFIP.
  • Amendment to Action 4.28: pursue funding for community-wide flood mitigation projects prioritizing nature-based solutions; MEMA co-lead, state added as funding source.
  • Deletion of Action 5.04 (cultural advisory engagement database).
• Future work: The committee will resume discussion of Section 3 sub-areas, area-specific policies, and remaining action items on Friday, October 2, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. The Department of OEV Resources will research gulch names for Ahihi-Kīna‘u. Staff will coordinate with the Department of Transportation regarding the Transit-Oriented Corridor study for South Kīhei Road. The meeting was recessed at approximately 3:50 p.m.