Parking Fees at Māʻalaea Small Boat Harbor to Start Aug. 3

Māʻalaea Harbor. File image.

By Maui Now Staff

Metered parking begins at the Māʻalaea Small Boat Harbor on Maui on Monday, August 3, 2015.

Under the new structure, vendor Diamond Parking will install parking meters, collect fees ($0.50 per hour, $12.00 per 24 hour period) for all parking stalls in the harbor and pay for necessary infrastructure upgrades related to vehicle parking.

The vendor will pay a flat fee or a percentage of gross receipts to the state Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation for deposit into the Boating Special Fund which will be used to improve harbor facilities.

Diamond Parking will manage the entire parking area at Māʻalaea, which includes approximately 208 regular parking stalls, seven or eight boat trailer parking stalls and four ADA compliant handicap parking stalls.

Approval for DOBOR to issue a month to month revocable permit for up to a year to a parking vendor was given by the Board of Land and Natural Resources at its April 24, 2015 meeting.  State officials with the Department of Land and Natural Resources say discussion about the parking plan has been circulating in the media since 2013.

A groundbreaking/blessing for the Māʻalaea SBH Ferry Pier Replacement project was held on July 7, 2015, 10 a.m. at the harbor office on Maui. DLNR photo.

The Māʻalaea Small Boat Harbor has undergone substantial improvements that include a new ferry building with attached DOBOR district office, new piers, loading docks and parking areas. The total cost of the new improvements was approximately $15 million.

DLNR officials say the repair and maintenance of the harbor is paid for through the boating special fund which consists of user fees generated from mooring fees, commercial vessel operations, and revenues from fast land leases. DOBOR does not receive any general fund money to help cover operating expenses.

DOBOR issued the revocable permit on a month to month basis for up to one year in order to gather information that will be used to draft a concession agreement that will be later be placed out to bid.

State officials say the parking concession is similar to the one located at the Ala Wai Small boat harbor on Oʻahu. Since its inception, the average monthly parking revenues generated at the Ala Wai small boat harbor is reportedly around $62,500, (which is used to support operating costs statewide).

Agency officials say another benefit of the parking concession is security at the facility during times when the harbor office is closed.