100 Stall Paia Parking Lot Opens Friday

By Wendy Osher

A luck few customers secure street parking Paia Town where stalls are a hot commodity. File photo by Wendy Osher.

Parking in Paia is expected to improve with the opening this week of a new 100 stall gravel lot off of Baldwin Avenue.

The temporary lot will be open at 8 a.m. on Friday, March 18th, 2011.  It is located makai of the Patsy Takemoto Mink U.S. Post Office on privately owned land.

Brothers David and Doug Spee and developer Henry Spencer, purchased the property recently under their business name, Paia 2020 LLC.  The land, in turn, in now being leased to Mana Foods, but will be open to the public and the community for parking purposes.

Spencer has said the project could not have gone forth so quickly without the help of the County.

“Paia desperately needs additional parking,” Spencer said. “This, along with the Paia Town Center parking will alleviate a lot of tension I think.”

Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa credited the business for stepping forward saying, “This is what government can do with the help of private businesses and a willing community.”

Spencer said he eventually plans to turn the gravel lot into a permanent, paved parking lot to accompany plans for a commercial development and a senior housing project.

*** Supporting information courtesy County of Maui.