Ask the Mayor: Is There a Plan for an Additional Access Road in Kulumalu?

Kulamalu subdivision, Photo By Wendy Osher © 2009

Mayor Alan Arakawa answers some of the questions submitted to his office staff. Submit your own questions about County of Maui programs, services, operations or policies to Mayor Alan Arakawa via email at AskTheMayor@mauicounty.gov, call 270-7855 or send them by mail to 200 S. High St., 9th Floor, Wailuku, Hawai‘i 96793. Questions submitted will be considered for inclusion in the “Ask the Mayor” column.

Dear Mayor,

Q: Is there a plan for an additional entry/exit road from the Kulumalu area? If even one more house or business goes into that area, it will overwhelm the already heavily congested single in–and-out access road. This is a very serious security and health concern to both the school in the area and current residents. If you don’t think this is going to be a huge problem, go to the intersection by Longs and observe for yourself how bad it gets when the school day begins and ends. Please don’t make more problems for us Upcountry folks.

A: Our Planning Department staff reviewed the original ordinance that approved the zoning change for Kulamalu, and while it did not require a second exit, it did require the submittal of an updated Traffic Impact Analysis Report to the State Department of Transportation for review and approval once the total student population at Kamehameha Schools reached more than 500.

Since the school has grown to over 1,000 students, an updated TIAR is required by the DOT. The applicant has been asked to update the traffic study in accordance with the zoning requirement, and the study and DOT will determine if any roadway improvements are warranted.