Calling it “innovative” and unique, a Maui County Council committee on Tuesday recommended approval for a 100% workforce neighborhood in Wailuku, which would include 202 diverse houses for sale — from tiny homes to live-work townhomes.
Maui County Council’s Affordable Housing Committee voted 9-0 to recommend approval with modifications for Kuikahi Village, a project by Alaula Builders set for 14 acres mauka of Honoapi’ilani Highway and adjacent to Kuʻikahi Drive. The land is owned by Kuikahi Properties LLC.
Kuikahi Village now heads to full council, which has until Oct. 14 to decide the project’s fate or it is automatically approved.
A variety of homes would go toward low income, below moderate, moderate and above moderate buyers, which was praised by council members during Tuesday’s meeting. Proposed sales prices start at $236,180 for tiny homes and end at $754,400 for four-bedroom, two bathroom single-family residences.
“Just wanted to mahalo Mr. Carnicelli, Mr. Betsill, for bringing to us a project that addressed a lot of the different AMIs for our communities,” Council Member Shane Sinenci said. “I personally have never seen a project with so many different varieties within it, so I applaud that and I hope that we get to review further projects similar to this one.”
“This is innovative, and hopefully other developers will follow suit with this type of mixture,” Council Chairperson Alice Lee said. “As member Sinenci said, a nice variety of offerings to folks in a fairly wide range of affordability.”
The infill project would include seven types of homes: tiny homes, two-bedroom condos, three-bedroom condos, duplexes, townhomes, live-work (three-bedroom, two-bathroom townhome with a studio underneath for a home-based business) houses and single-family homes.
Other neighborhood features include five spot parks with exercise equipment, walking and biking paths, shade trees, a playground, a pavilion and a 40-foot buffer along Kuʻikahi Drive.
The homes would be owner-occupied and go toward Maui resident buyers. No vacation rentals would be allowed. Several modifications to the project were included Tuesday.
Kuikahi Village received a Finding of No Significant Impact earlier this year. It was required to complete an environmental assessment under state law due to its proposed use of county lands for roadway improvements.
Led by president Doyle Betsill and vice president Lawrence Carnicelli, Kahului-based Alaula Builders focuses on “well-built, sustainable homes” for Maui kamaʻaina. The company’s 100% workforce projects include Hale Kaiola, which is moving ahead in North Kihei, and Hale Waipu’ilani, which was recently shot down by council.
“I thought this was a little presumptuous when I made this slide to say the residents of Maui request this, but I’ve been touched by the amount of support that I received especially over the last six weeks,” Carnicelli said during the Sept. 1 Affordable Housing Committee meeting on Kuikahi Village. “I’m sorry I get so choked up, chair, but this is truly put my heart into this and I do respectfully ask for your support.”
