UPDATE NOT YET! Latest Version of Spencer’s Maalaea Mauka Proposed Project

UPDATE   

2/7/20 Whew.    By a 5-4 vote the full council this afternoon REJECTED a proposed motion to discharge this matter. We are not clear on how individual  votes were cast, as Chair Lee would not accept a request for roll call vote, but we did hear Kelly King, as well as Keani and Mike state they would not support the discharge.  Tamara proposed the discharge and Yuki Lei seconded it and Chair Lee agreed, so 2 of the 3 remaining voted no. 

2/6/20 Yesterday morning’s PSLU had more  oral community testimony, & while a single one said he had no objection to the requested land use changes to permit development, KCA joined everyone else saying no. While no decision was reached the matter is already back at the full Council this Friday morning at 9:00 AM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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UPDATE   1/30/20 WHEN THE MATTER FINALLY HIT THE FULL COUNCIL ON 1/24/20, the Council voted to not offer approval. but revert in once again back to the PSLU Committee!

The committee will again discuss the project this Wed 2/5/20 at 9 AM. Meanwhile a few entities, including KCA are working to get the land permanently set as open space with no development, STAY TUNED!

 

UPDATE  11/29/19  So last September (9/11/18) the Maui Planning Commission voted to approve both changes and to move the matter onto the Council. The matter went before the PSLU committee this September where we reiterated our objections, joined by the Maalaea Village Association, and while no decision was reached, the next committee meeting was to be set in the community in the evening. So we were at the location of the Pacific Whale Foundation (PWF)  Classrooms at Maalaea this Wednesday (11/26/19) at 5:00 PM. and we were the first (of a total of four) to testify.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During deliberations, numerous conditions were placed on the project were it to gain approval, but when our concerns were reinforced by the majority of the seven voting members, all indications were it would not be approved to go  on to the full Council. However after about three hours, committee chair Paltin joined Lee, Sugimura and Molina and approved the requested changes. Unless something changes when full council takes up the matter, look for  more high end “gentleman estates” to be erected in the foothills overlooking Maalaea Harbor. Wonder how much fire insurance will cost in that location?

8/28/18 #kihei When KCA was incorporated in 1960, obviously South Maui was much different from today, and it is obvious in the by-laws, that while christening it the KIHEI Community Association, it was intended to have kuleana for all of South Maui, including Maalaea and we do our best to live up to that responsibility. 

So this afternoon, our Design Review Committee (DRC) met with representative of the Spencer Family, Vince Bogoyo, to view the latest version of development of these lands owned by the family across the highway from Maalaea village near the intersection of North Kihei Road (NKR) and the Honoapi’ilani Hwy. The committee last met with them on these lands over four years ago

This time the plan is to have the lands changed to agricultural by changing both the community plan and some zoning for a 21 Ag lot development. Briefly, we still see the location has the same challenges, and land should remain undeveloped open space.

Exacerbated by the tragic fires on the other side of these west Maui Mountains this last weekend, we see the continuing fire danger here, as any spark sets the brush ablaze & the fierce Maalaea winds bring catastrophic results. Also the same traffic congestion with the frequent single road closures at the pali; environmental danger to Maalaea Bay by more runoff and turning this to Ag when the likelihood of food farming is remote, and “gentlemen farm estates” more likely.

 

The matter will be heard at the County Planning Commission on 9/11/18 at 9:00 AM