Ask the Mayor Redux: How Many ‘Ohana Are Allowed On a Property?

Mayor Alan Arakawa answers some of the questions submitted to his staff.

Submit your own questions about County of Maui programs, services, operations or policies to Mayor Alan Arakawa at [email protected], (808) 270-7855 or mail them to 200 S. High St., 9th Floor, Wailuku, HI 96793.

Questions submitted will be considered for inclusion in the “Ask the Mayor” column.

The following question was submitted in last week’s “Ask the Mayor” column; however, the answer that was given was for a 1/5 acre lot, not a 1/2 acre lot. The following answer has been changed to apply to a 1/2 acre lot.

Q: How many ‘ohana units are allowed on a 1/2 of land in Maui County? I have read where the answer is one unit and I’ve also seen two units. Can you tell me which is correct? Or, under what circumstances each might be permittable?

A: For a 1/2-acre (21,780-square-foot) residential property, you can build one ‘ohana of no more than 600 square feet. Depending on the zoning, you may also be able to build more than one single-family dwelling (with no size limit).

If the property is R-1, then you can build one dwelling for every 6,000 square feet of lot area, which would mean three homes plus one ‘ohana.

If the property is R-2, then you can build one dwelling for every 7,500 square feet of lot area, which would mean two homes plus one ‘ohana.

If the property is R-3, then you can build one dwelling for every 10,000 square feet of lot area, which would also mean two homes plus one ‘ohana.