Council urged to consider purchase north shore parcels for open space, shoreline access : Maui Now

More than a dozen Haʻikū residents asked Maui County Council members Tuesday to consider public acquisition of three Paʻuwela parcels for an estimated $6.8 million. The parcels are makai of the Haʻikū Community Center, in the vicinity of Paʻuwela Lighthouse and Kuiaha Bay.

Michael Schwarz said he was informed that the property is for sale. An online search found multiple real estate listings for property in the area, including 43.7 acres at Paʻuwela Lighthouse Road No. 3 for $2 million.

Schwarz said the Haʻikū community uses the road to Paʻuwela Lighthouse for shoreline access.

“The stunning coastline should be open to all residents of Haʻikū,” he said. “Preserving these properties for public use would enhance the extent of the Hāmākualoa open space, which is already owned by the county and enable future generations to enjoy this awe-inspiring coast.”

Caroline Kemp said she’s concerned the community would lose access to a culturally important place if a private buyer were to purchase the Paʻuwela lots.

“This is a big opportunity for the county to add to its Hāmākualoa open space preserve,” she said. The county’s acquisition of the lands would guarantee community access “for future generations so that keiki and ʻohana can fish, surf and learn about the ocean for years to come.”

“Haʻikū is growing rapidly and could benefit from more open space and room to expand upon our community center and school,” Melody Torres said. “The last thing our community needs is a new luxury development threatening to take away our limited shoreline access and push out locals even more.”

In March 2020, council members approved spending $1.7 million from the county Open Space Fund to purchase 48.8 acres in the Haʻikū Sugar East Subdivision, located at East Kuiaha, Hāmākualoa.

In July 2023, Kamehameha Schools announced that it had acquired 1,053 acres within the Hāmākualoa district of north Maui for $13 million. The acquisition is comprised of three separate areas: East Kaupakulua, 277 acres; Kuiaha, 161 acres; and Halehaku, 614 acres. Much of the land is pasture land or agricultural land used to grow pineapple since the early 1950s.

The residents’ testimony was submitted during a Tuesday evening community meeting of the Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee at the Pāʻia Community Center.

About a half-dozen other testifiers shared public safety concerns about a homeless encampment off of Holomua Road. One testifier, identified as a “concerned Maui resident,” said the situation has “grown out of control.”

As a former employee of the Maui Invasive Species Committee, the testifier worked in the area to control fire ants, nocturnal coqui frogs and other invasive species.

“I have witnessed all manner of foul, inappropriate and threatening behavior both day and night over the three or so years I drove the road daily and saw the encampment grow and spill its elements into Pāʻia town,” the testifier said.

Multiple 40-foot dumpsters have been filled with trash from encampment residents and cleared by county workers with bulldozers.

“I know it’s not unique on Maui, but the amount of trash and human waste deposited by homeless residents along Holomua Road is staggering and will likely have consequences for the ecosystem (native seabirds at Hoʻokipa, reef system, etc.) and public health,” the testifier said.

The concerned resident said there have been multiple brush fires along Holomua Road, and “it’s a miracle none of them grew to catastrophic levels that could affect downwind residents, business owners and visitors in Kūʻau and Pāʻia.”

The Budget Committee’s next community meeting is at 6 p.m. April 8 at the Lahaina Civic Center gymnasium in West Maui.

Written testimony is accepted via eComment. Visit mauicounty.us/agendas, click on the eComment link, then select the agenda item to submit comments on.

For more information on testifying, go to www.mauicounty.us or contact the Office of Council Services at 808-270-7838.

Meanwhile, Budget Committee members are reviewing Maui County departments as they consider Mayor Richard Bissen’s proposed fiscal year 2025 spending plan for $1.69 billion.

On Tuesday, the Department of Environmental Management reported significant wildfire impacts, including: four wastewater pump stations that have been fixed temporarily; a compromised wastewater collection system; 847 destroyed refuse carts; and a recycling drop box and HI-5 center demolished.

The department is asking for a 2% increase for sewage rates and fees, which would increase revenue by an estimated $1.2 million.

The department’s proposed capital improvement project budget is $40.7 million for fiscal 2025 for the Wastewater Division, up from $36 million in fiscal 2024; and $4.6 million for the Solid Waste Division, down from $7.25 million in the current fiscal year.

The department has 214 filled and 34 vacant positions, mostly 20 open positions in the Wastewater Division where the vacancy rate is running at 16%.

On Wednesday morning, the Department of Parks and Recreation presented committee members with its fiscal 2025 budget request for $43.8 million. The department reported having 84 staff vacancies.

A $1 hike is being requested for green fees, excluding the student rate, at the Waiehu Municipal Golf Course. The rate increase is expected to raise an additional $73,000 to pay for higher costs of utilities, supplies, ground maintenance equipment, materials and parts.

On Thursday, the committee will review budget requests from the Maui Police Department, the Department of Water Supply, the East Maui Regional Community Board, the Department of Personnel Services and the Department of Liquor Control.