OpenPublica

Accountability starts with access.

© 2026 · Filed for the public record

Use casesAboutAPIPrivacyTermsLinkedIn
Home/Maui County, Hawaii/County Council & Committees
OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Housing and Land Use Committee Reviews Maui Tech Park and Lānaʻi Project District Amendments (October 22, 2026)

County Council & Committees — Thursday, October 22, 2026
BodyMaui County, Hawaii
SessionCounty Council & Committees
DateThursday, October 22, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:10:39

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:25

Good morning, everyone.

0:26

Well, the housing land use committee of October 21st, 2026.

0:30

Please come to order.

0:31

It is 9.05 a.m.

0:33

I'm the chair of this committee, Nohelani Uuhajans.

0:36

Members, in accordance with the Sunshine Law, please identify by name.

0:40

Who, if anyone is in the room, workspace vehicle with you today.

0:44

Minors do not need to be identified.

0:46

Let's begin with committee vice chair Kaonoi Botangan.

0:49

Good morning.

Speaker 2

0:50

Morning, Aloha Kahyakakako.

Speaker 1

0:53

Committee.

0:54

Councilmember Tom Cook.

0:55

Good morning.

Speaker 2

0:56

Aloha.

Speaker 3

0:56

Good morning, Chair.

Speaker 1

0:58

Councilmember Gabe Johnson.

1:00

Aloha and good morning.

Speaker 4

1:03

Good morning, Chair, Councilmembers, community members.

1:05

There's no testifiers here at the Nine District's office.

1:08

I'm alone on my side of the office and here and ready to work.

1:11

Thank you, Chair.

Speaker 1

1:12

Thank you.

1:12

Council Chair Alice Lee.

1:14

Aloha, good morning.

Speaker 5

1:16

Aloha.

1:17

Good morning, Chair and SCA.

1:20

This is from the Iroquois Nation in Upper New York area in Ontario.

1:28

And they say Scott No, which means that they wish you peace and well-being.

1:33

I'm home alone in my workspace.

1:35

Looking forward to your meeting.

1:36

Thank you.

Speaker 1

1:36

Thank you.

1:37

We need extra peace and well-being today.

1:39

So thank you for that.

1:40

Scano.

1:42

Um councilmember Paulton is en route from Gilo.

1:46

So she will be joining us shortly.

1:48

Councilmember Kiani Rawlis Fernandez.

1:50

Aloha, good morning, Scott No.

Speaker 6

1:54

Aloha Kakahiyaka Chair.

1:56

Happy to be here in person.

1:57

No uh testifiers at the Molkai District office.

2:01

Um, and uh, as I mentioned before we started the meeting.

2:04

Yes.

2:04

Um, I will need to leave uh for the airport at the morning break.

2:10

Tomorrow is my son's birthday.

2:12

Oh, yay.

2:13

Hello.

2:15

Mahalo, mahalo, and I'll make a quick plug.

2:17

The reason I I came uh to Maui is to the presentation of the charter amendment last night.

2:23

The council um the clerk's office did a fabulous job on Maui County Votes.gov for more information for everyone.

2:31

Mahla chair.

Speaker 1

2:32

Thank you for that.

2:32

I've been getting so many calls.

2:34

Um, so I appreciate that plug.

2:36

Thank you so much.

2:37

Councilmember Shane Senensi.

2:39

Aloha Scano.

Speaker 7

2:40

Alohayako chair and scano.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Land Use Planning█████████████████████████████████33%
Procedural████████████████████20%
Transportation██████████10%
Zoning Code Revision█████████9%
Public Safety██████6%
Historic Preservation█████5%
Technology and Innovation████4%
Cultural Preservation███3%
Homelessness██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Housing and Land Use Committee Meeting Summary - October 22, 2026

[Note: The agenda and transcript reference Wednesday, October 21, 2026, while the provided metadata specifies October 22, 2026. The metadata date is used in the title.]

The Housing and Land Use (HLU) Committee of the Maui County Council considered two major land use items. The first, Bill 141 (2026), amended the Maui Research & Technology Park District to prioritize residential development and adjust standards. The second, Bills 24 and 25 (2024), substantially downzoned the Lānaʻi Project District 2 (Kōʻele) and increased open space. Following public testimony and intensive debate on specific conditions, the committee voted to advance all bills on first reading.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Jim Lankford expressed a neutral stance on the tech park item but suggested the committee consider incorporating safe parking concepts for homeless support. He requested the item be deferred until after the election.
  • A remote testifier (Dolly Lottie) provided brief remarks on Hawaiian cultural perspective in governance.
  • Lance testified on the Lānaʻi project, submitting documentation regarding financial allegations.

Discussion Items

Bill 141 (2026) – Maui Research & Technology Park District

  • Proposal: Pacific Rim Land presented amendments to increase residential acreage from 102.3 to 158 acres while keeping the unit cap at 1,250, enabling less dense development. The Employment/Campus district was reduced. Development standards were modified to codify a variance from the Board of Variances and Appeals. A minor medical center use was added to the Civic District, and the total non-residential build-up area cap was reduced to 1,800,000 square feet. The Maui Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval.
  • Discussion: Councilmember Johnson questioned transit plans; the Planning Director responded that a South Maui transit study is pending. Councilmember Rollins-Fernandez asked about data center expansion, which the developer stated was not part of the amendment. Councilmember Sinenci raised evacuation concerns; the developer cited Ninao Street as the primary collector road. Councilmember Cook expressed strong support for the project's execution.
  • Outcome: Motion by Vice Chair Batangan, seconded by Councilmember Cook. The motion carried with 8 ayes, 0 nays, and 1 excused (Councilmember Paltin).

Bills 24 & 25 (2024) – Lānaʻi Project District 2 (Kōʻele)

  • Proposal: Pulama Lānaʻi presented a comprehensive downzoning including a 72% reduction in resort residential, a 77% reduction in golf course acres, and a 1,243% increase in park and open space. An 11.5-acre addition for a potential hotel expansion at Sensei Lānaʻi was included, along with housekeeping items for resort commercial. The State Land Use Commission had already approved the District Boundary Amendment.
  • Debate on Conditions and Specific Issues:
    • Condition 8 (Water Reporting): An amendment by Councilmembers Paltin and Johnson requiring quarterly reports for five years, followed by annual reports for another five years or until Phase 2 begins (whichever is sooner), was adopted (6-3).
    • Condition 9 (Bypass Road): A motion to strike the condition requiring a bypass road from the 1983 Community Plan was deeply debated. Opponents (Paltin, Johnson, Rollins-Fernandez) cited community safety and emergency evacuation needs. Supporters of removal (Chair Lee, Batangan, Cook, Sugimura, Uʻu-Hodgins) cited rational nexus, outdated plans, and impacts on existing homes. The motion to strike passed (5-4).
    • Historic Properties: The developer confirmed the commitment to relocate and preserve the Richardson House structures in consultation with the Lānaʻi Cultural and Heritage Center.
  • Outcome: Motion by Councilmember Sugimura, seconded by Councilmember Cook, to recommend passage of the CD1 versions with the approved amendments. The final vote was 8 ayes and 1 no (Councilmember Rollins-Fernandez).

Key Outcomes

  • Bill 141 (2026): Recommended for passage on first reading. Reallocates land to residential while keeping the unit cap at 1,250. (Vote 8-0-1).
  • Bills 24 & 25 (2024): Recommended for passage on first reading as amended. Project district substantially downzoned. Condition 9 (bypass road) removed. Condition 8 (water reporting) given a defined sunset clause. (Vote 8-1).
  • All items will proceed to the full Maui County Council for second reading.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning, everyone. Well, the housing land use committee of October 21st, 2026. Please come to order. It is 9.05 a.m. I'm the chair of this committee, Nohelani Uuhajans. Members, in accordance with the Sunshine Law, please identify by name. Who, if anyone is in the room, workspace vehicle with you today. Minors do not need to be identified. Let's begin with committee vice chair Kaonoi Botangan. Good morning. Morning, Aloha Kahyakakako. Committee. Councilmember Tom Cook. Good morning. Aloha. Good morning, Chair. Councilmember Gabe Johnson. Aloha and good morning. Good morning, Chair, Councilmembers, community members. There's no testifiers here at the Nine District's office. I'm alone on my side of the office and here and ready to work. Thank you, Chair. Thank you. Council Chair Alice Lee. Aloha, good morning. Aloha. Good morning, Chair and SCA. This is from the Iroquois Nation in Upper New York area in Ontario. And they say Scott No, which means that they wish you peace and well-being. I'm home alone in my workspace. Looking forward to your meeting. Thank you. Thank you. We need extra peace and well-being today. So thank you for that. Scano. Um councilmember Paulton is en route from Gilo. So she will be joining us shortly. Councilmember Kiani Rawlis Fernandez. Aloha, good morning, Scott No. Aloha Kakahiyaka Chair. Happy to be here in person. No uh testifiers at the Molkai District office. Um, and uh, as I mentioned before we started the meeting. Yes. Um, I will need to leave uh for the airport at the morning break. Tomorrow is my son's birthday. Oh, yay. Hello. Mahalo, mahalo, and I'll make a quick plug.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com