New US Coast Guard station planned at Māʻalaea Small Boat Harbor

The US Coast Guard plans to build a new, nearly 18,000-square-foot, three-story station on state-owned property with renovations to its existing station at Māʻalaea Small Boat Harbor, according to a draft environmental assessment.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation would lease land to the Coast Guard for the expansion and long-term operation of Station Maui. The new station, located nearby the current facility, would upgrade services to current standards and house 36 personnel.

The proposed project site is roughly the shape of a rectangle, except with a pointed end on the south side of the property. It’s located between the Maui Ocean Center, Māʻalaea General Store and the first Māʻalaea condominiums, north of the current station and south of the Māʻalaea Road and Hauʻoli Street intersection.

The building would have offices for administration; a command and operations center; marine maintenance; weapons space and operations; berthing areas; and dining/kitchen/training facilities. The renovated current 1,800-square-foot station would be used by the Marine Safety Team Maui.

The current station is about 13,500 square feet less than what is required to meet the needs of the current Coast Guard complement of three small boats and 20 personnel, the draft document says.

“Initially constructed as an administrative support facility, the existing Station Maui’s facilities are undersized and functionally deficient to meet US Coast Guard standards and current operational needs,” according to the draft environmental assessment posted in Nov. 8 issue of The Environmental Notice by the Office of State Planning and Sustainable Development.

Station Maui’s primary mission is to support maritime homeland security and search-and-rescue operations. The Coast Guard also enforces federal laws and US treaties in US waters and the high seas. It provides port and environmental safety and marine environmental responses.

The Coast Guard station relies on response readiness to fulfill its mission objectives.

“The current facility is unsuited for its heavy-weather mission operations,” the draft environmental assessment says. “Lack of ready-berthing facilities and inadequate training and physical fitness areas result in operational gaps and cause a drop in nighttime readiness standards. This leaves operators vulnerable and ultimately impacts Station Maui’s ability to achieve its mission and avert loss of property and lives.”

Also, there is no available space within the existing facilities for station training or to accommodate an adequate basic crew of watchstanders, the draft document says.

The existing facility lacks adequate boat maintenance facilities, with the current trailerable boat being maintained within a designated fence line on the adjacent pier and maintenance personnel working out of a trailer.

The draft document says underlying infrastructure at the current Coast Guard station is “at or exceeding capacity.” It cites an inadequate sewage system as an example.

The facility also lacks the 30-foot inside and outside clear zone security setbacks required by Coast Guard rules.

The Coast Guard anticipates a final environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact by January 2025. The next goal would be to get a land lease from the state sometime between the third quarter of 2025 and third quarter of 2027. Project design would be from the second quarter of 2029 through the fourth quarter of 2030. Then, construction would begin in the second quarter of 2031 and first quarter of 2033.

The US Coast Guard is the project applicant, with the proposing agency listed as the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources for the draft environmental assessment. The department has authorized SSMF International Inc. as project consultant. The draft assessment says there’s an anticipated finding of no significant environmental impact.

The draft document says Māʻalaea Harbor was built in 1952 as a recreational boat harbor. It had a wide entrance channel, two breakwaters, a paved wharf, berthing facilities, a launching ramp, a Coast Guard Station, restrooms and several parking areas.

In July 1975, the harbor was one of the terminals for the inter island hydrofoil known as Seaflite. The company was troubled with problems from its onset, and closed down operations because of heavy financial costs in vessel maintenance in January 1978.

Public comments are due Dec. 9. To submit comments, email the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Cami Miyakado at cami.r.miyakado@hawaii.gov (808-587-2683) and submit a copy to consultant SSMF International Inc.’s Jennifer Scheffel at jscheffel@ssfm.com (808-356-1273).

To read the full draft environmental assessment, click here.