UPDATE: Just over three months later (5/25/12) we see the completed wall, natural landscaping added and growing, and now the flock of changing flags atop the wall, seemingly adapting to occasion or season. We expect the currect band of American flags are reminders of our falllen military as Memorial Day approaches.
St Theresa’s Catholic Church, at the corner of Lipoa and S Kihei Road, is site of perimeter wall construction this week (2/20/12) in central Kihei along the two sections facing the respective roadways, attracting a lot of attention and inqueries on the purpose of the wall.
Dear All Kihei Residence, Thank you so much for your interest and concern regarding our new stone wall along South Kihei Road and West Lipoa Street. We here at St. Theresa Church felt that it was time that we made some major improvements to our property especially since the development of the residential community of Kai Ani Village across the street. That was the last corner of South Kihei Road and Lipoa to be developed. Now that that has happened and because they did a beautiful job in improving our neighborhood, we thought that it might be time for us to contribute also the to the beautification of our neighborhood. We felt that it was important to bring the Church property up to the standards of this part of the neighborhood. It is also for the protection of our property along the South Kihei Road. We are in the process of giving to the County of Maui a few feet of our property the length of South Kihei Road. This was an agreement made with the County 17 years ago and we are finally getting around to finalizing it with them. This was to aid and assist them with widening the road in this area and providing space for the sidewalk that will be put in one day. We have met all of the County’s requirements for permitting and for the Special Management Area (SMA). We are also in the process of redoing our landscaping and adding new trees to the property and along the road on our property. Some of the old trees’ roots were tearing up South Kihei Road and also were in the line of the wall and needed to be removed. We will be adding more new trees inside of our wall around the property with root barriers as not to tear up the roadways. We are looking for plants and trees that are very salt tolerant so that they will thrive on our property and not look like the ones that we had there before that were having trouble with the water table under the ground which is very high and not conducive to many plants and trees. I do hope that this answers some of your thoughts and questions at this time. We hope to be done with the wall in another two weeks. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers are we strive to be good neighbors in this wonderful community here in South Maui. Please come and visit us and know that you are always welcome to pray and worship with us. Take care and God Bless you all. Mahalo, Fr. Terry
Thanks for your comments Fr. Terry.
The wall looks good, but the flags are a bit too much. Looks like a car dealership.
thank you for explaining why St Theresa’s put up a rock wall that is forbidding and unfriendly in its nature. A green wall would soften the unfriendly effect caused by a rock wall. If you grow a ‘climbing plant’ on the wall, that will soften the blow of a solid wall. Walls keep people out and send a message, which is Keep Out. If St Theresa’s is trying to keep people out of its grounds, you have succeeded with your rock wall. I would never put such a wall up in front of my home; it’s so unfriendly; no Aloha spirit.