Maui Planning Commission to review Hoʻonani Village, housing and parking bills

The Maui Planning Commission is scheduled to review land use bills regarding the proposed Hoʻonani Village project near Kahului Airport, as well as legislation regarding accessory dwelling units, agricultural retail structures and electric vehicle charging stations.

The meeting is set for 9 a.m. Tuesday in the Planning Department Conference Room at the Kalana Pakui Building in Wailuku. (Click here for the meeting agenda.) The meeting can be viewed on Microsoft Teams: Meeting ID: 297 714 275 941 2 Passcode: 4Fn3Ch6Y

Online testimony can be submitted by clicking the “Submit Testimony” links via the online agenda. Or testimony can be sent by mail to the Maui Planning Commission c/o Department of Planning, One Main Plaza, 2200 Main St., Suite 315, Wailuku 96793. 

The commission, chaired by Kim Thayer, will review a referral from the Department of Planning for the Hoʻonani Village mixed-use project. Commissioners will consider three proposed bills to pave the way for the development on approximately 166 acres near Pūlehu and Hansen roads in Kahului.

The project’s land use requests include amending the Maui Island Plan’s directed growth map (Pūlehu Road) to include 163.443 acres; amending the Wailuku-Kahului Community Plan designation from agriculture to business/multifamily for the same acreage; and a change of zoning from agricultural to M-1 light industrial for approximately 166.5 acres.

According to environmental preparation notices, conceptual plans by Hoʻonani Development LLC call for construction of a high-density, master-planned community. Aside from low-rise multifamily rental units, the project envisions commercial office space, retail, restaurant areas and light industrial uses, plus parks, sports fields, a central promenade and a botanical trail. All housing units are expected to be made available at 140% of area median income and below.

The project has raised community concerns about noise because the project is located under the flight path of commercial jets arriving at Kahului Airport.

The commission’s review is a necessary step before the bills return to the Maui County Council for final decision-making.

In other expected commission action, the panel will review a bill proposing changes to the county’s accessory dwelling unit standards. The legislation, initiated by the Council, would increase the maximum allowable size of accessory dwellings on smaller lots.

Previously, the measure aimed at mitigating Maui’s housing crisis had been on the commission’s Sept. 23 and Oct. 28 agendas. At the October meeting, commissioners ran out of time after an extensive review of another item, a special management area permit application for exterior renovations and improvements at the Four Seasons Resort Maui in Wailea.

Under the accessory dwelling proposal, the maximum gross covered floor area for accessory dwellings would rise to 720 square feet for lots smaller than 7,500 square feet, up from the current 500-square-foot limit. For lots between 7,500 and 10,000 square feet, the limit would also increase to 720 square feet from the current 600 square feet. The bill also proposes increasing the allowable size for covered and uncovered decks, walkways and lanais on these smaller lots to 280 square feet.

The commission will also consider a bill amending the definition of agricultural retail structures in the county code. The change would allow vehicles and structures on wheels to be classified as agricultural retail structures, permitting them as accessory uses in the agricultural district. This change would allow food trucks to function as retail stands for agricultural products under specific provisions. A staff report on the proposed bill is here.

Additionally, commissioners will discuss a bill regarding off-street parking requirements for electric vehicles. The proposed measure would require newly constructed places of public accommodation with at least 50 parking spaces to provide two designated electric vehicle spaces equipped with charging systems. The requirement applies to developments located outside the erosion hazard line. For every additional 50 parking spaces, two additional spaces with charging systems would be required. For more information on the bill, click here.

The commission serves as an advisory body to the Council on these proposed land use ordinances.