Maui Planning Commission defers consideration of larger ʻohana homes to build housing inventory

The Maui Planning Commission deferred consideration Tuesday of a draft bill to increase the allowable size of accessory dwelling units, also known as ʻohana homes, on smaller lots, a move intended to help address Maui County’s critical housing shortage.

Commissioners ran out of time Tuesday after a nearly eight-hour, granular-level review of another agenda item, a special management area permit application for exterior renovations and improvements at the Four Seasons Resort Maui in Wailea.

The commission postponed its review of the accessory dwelling bill until Jan. 13. That’s well beyond the panel’s Nov. 8 deadline to provide input on the measure to the Maui County Council, which may take up the bill without the Maui panel’s input. Looking ahead, the Maui commission already has full agendas for the rest of this year.

The Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi planning commissions have already taken up the accessory dwelling bill.

The measure is intended to help make housing affordable for multigenerational and extended families. Wildfire-impacted areas would see the most benefit during reconstruction on now vacant lots, according to the Department of Planning.

The bill initiated by the department and introduced by West Maui Council Member Tamara Paltin aims to standardize the size of accessory dwellings and associated decks for lots less than one-half acre. The Maui County Council referred the measure to the planning commission for review. The Council and mayor will have the final say on whether the amendment to the Maui County Code becomes law.

The amendment would increase the maximum gross covered floor area for accessory dwellings to 720 square feet on lots less than 10,000 square feet. Currently, ʻohana homes are limited to 500 square feet on lots smaller than 7,500 square feet and to 600 square feet on lots between 7,500 and 9,999 square feet.

The bill also increases the maximum cumulative floor area to 280 square feet for decks, walkways, lanais and similar structures on these lots.

The larger housing sizes for both sized lots is expected to yield at least one extra bedroom to existing or planned accessory dwelling units, which would mean more space for growing families or add housing for renters.

“In short, this bill would give Maui residents another tool to help address the county’s ongoing housing crisis,” said Jonathan Helton, policy analyst with the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

Ongoing housing shortage

West Maui Council Member Tamara Paltin, who introduced the measure, noted the urgency of exploring all housing options during the July 8, 2025, Council discussion.

“Although smaller lots may not be able to take full advantage of the 720 square foot allowance afforded accessory dwellings this bill will provide a mechanism for owners of lots under 10,000 square feet to consider increasing their ADU size,” Paltin said during a July 8 Council meeting. “The County needs to explore all options it can to address the housing shortage. This bill would provide another option to house more residents.”

The bill is being considered as the County Council has paused deliberations on Bill 103, which proposes a significant increase in residential density. Both measures, along with the coming implementation of state Act 39 (which mandates counties allow for at least two accessory dwelling units per residentially zoned lot), are part of a coordinated effort to increase housing supply, including for residents rebuilding in fire-affected areas.

Fire safety and density concerns

In a Sept. 17 memo the the Maui, Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi planning commissions, Planning Director Kate Blystone said the Planning Department is generally in support of such a minimal increase. However, the department noted that while accessory dwelling units are intended to be subordinate to the main dwelling, the increase could result in an additional one or two bedrooms and a need for additional parking.

The memo included input from the Department of Fire and Public Safety. It said that, while the proposed bill “has no conflict with the current fire code,” it raises concerns about the overall impact of increased housing density.

“The increase in size will in turn increase density and fuel load to the properties in which they are implemented,” the Fire Department said. The department also suggested that if the size and number of dwellings per lot were to increase, the county should also consider revisiting the associated water-supply requirements and clear access to properties for firefighting apparatus such as fire trucks.

These concerns carry more weight for policymakers in the wake of the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfire disaster that destroyed more than 2,200 structures in Lahaina. During that disaster, the domestic water system was unable to deliver enough water to fight the immense size and speed of that blaze. One hundred and two people died in the Lahaina fire.

The commission also deferred until Jan. 13 its review of a bill to increase designated parking spaces for electrical vehicles equipped with charging stations.