Final public meetings set next week for Ukumehame–Olowalu coastal corridor design proposals

Maui residents are invited to review and provide feedback on landscape design proposals for the Ukumehame and Olowalu coastal corridor, as public meetings next week look to conclude nearly a year of community input on the project.

After ideas were shared at past public meetings, The Nature Conservancy and the University of Hawai‘i Community Design Center have developed detailed proposals for the area’s future once the new highway is completed.

According to The Nature Conservancy, the proposals reflect a collective vision to enhance ecological, cultural and recreational values in a place where sea levels are projected to rise 1.1 feet by 2045 and 3.2 feet by 2075.

The proposals: 

• Focus on the 6-mile area between the Lahaina Bypass at Olowalu and the Pali at Mile Marker 11;
• Zoom in on “catalytic sites” at Olowalu Town and Landing, Mile Marker 14 recreational area, and Ukumehame Beach Park and wetlands;
• Incorporate nature-based solutions and biocultural practices that can build resilience in response to coastal erosion and flooding, sedimentation of the Olowalu coral reef, habitat degradation, invasive species, and wildfire; 
• May include habitat restoration in the Ukumehame wetlands area, living shorelines, native reforestation, loʻi kalo (taro patch) restoration, paʻakai (salt) collection, the West Maui Greenway, and creation of new public park spaces; and 
• Address community concerns around continued shoreline access and open space management as the shoreline recedes and portions of the existing roadway are decommissioned over time.  

An in-person meeting will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 18, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Lahainaluna High School cafeteria (doors open at 5 p.m.), with dinner and refreshments provided. Two virtual sessions will follow on Nov. 20 (4:30–6 p.m.) and Nov. 21 (noon–1:30 p.m.).

All three events will be facilitated by the ‘A‘ali‘i Alliance, with participants invited to rank and share feedback on the proposed concepts.

To learn more, view previous design drafts or register for a virtual session, visit the Olowalu: The Road to Resilience website at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/2ba79613d0aa4da182fe9bc34cc10cc7