BUT NO GO TO MATERIALS RECYCLING (FOR NOW)

7/11/17 #kihei
We commend the County Planning Department for two actions:  First the decision to relocate the Planning Commission meeting today from the usual close quarters to the roomy Cameron Center Auditorium to accommodate the expected (but not realized) large turnout.  The other is a sharing of information beyond the bare bones legally required agenda on the county website. By clicking on what is called an “Unofficial Agenda with Hyperlinks to Documents”, anyone interested in an item can see all the data available, without a trip to the Department and having to examine everything there.

We mention this feature as there was misinformation about the first item, C-1 Hawaii Materials Recycling LLC project in Kihei mauka of the highway, certainly expected to be the simpler of the two the items on which we testified. Concerned residents could easily have ascertained facts on the proposal instead of hearsay; for that matter, they could have checked this Website. All in all the Commission voted to defer the decision until the next meeting (7/25/17) due to professed lack of commissioners present (7 of 9). With 5 required to approve any motion, several votes resulted in 3-3 deadlocks. Chair declined to vote as her vote would not result in any action. Some history on the project here.

As you might expect, the second item, which brought in the majority of the crowd, ATC Makena Holdings request for an SMA permit was much more complex. The 300 pages of documents do NOT include the voluminous Environmental Assessment (EA) document, which was approved and of course challenge from the lawsuit filed in response to that decision.

It was revealed that a complex settlement was reached without a judicial decision. KCA supported that settlement, as we believe it was a reasonable compromise to include such items as

  • low range affordable housing in perpetuity right there in Makena
  • more open view plains with three fewer condo buildings along the road
  • preserving twice as many archeological sites as previously proposed
  • fewer overall buildings in the entire development by establishing a limit to plans for the entire area
  • required shuttles for residents and the community
  • more parking at Makena Landing

and more, as we could not possibly capture all the details.

The commissioners decided to approve the request for the SMA permit unanimously.

Look for the professional report in the Maui News by Colleen Uechi & a meeting video on Akaku Channel 53.

                            

                             

 

 

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