#Wahikuli

While residents who have been living in the Lahaina burn zone are happy to see the rebuilding starting to pick up, it is “bittersweet” knowing that it will never be the same as it was.

The proposed project seeks to upgrade these properties to a gravity sewer system, eliminating environmental impacts from cesspools and leaking septic systems while providing a wastewater management system more resilient to disaster hazards from wildfires, flooding, and tsunami.

A sewer line being built for the Kilohana Temporary Group Housing Site on Maui will have long-term benefits for Lahaina.

The Wahikuli neighborhood watch program works with the Maui Emergency Management Agency to augment checkpoints in the area to prevent looters and disaster tourists.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Health is issuing Guidance for Existing Cesspool Use in Residential Kula, Maui. It was developed in an effort to support Kula residents affected by the wildfires, working to rebuild and reoccupy their homes.

The meeting will include a status report on debris clearing by the US Army Corps of Engineers, a Hawaiʻi Department of Education update on Kamehameha III Elementary School, and an Environmental Protection Agency update on Wahikuli cesspool inspections and information on the agency’s new sewer line design project. 

A summary report of community engagement by the County of Maui with the Lahaina community is now available to view and download on the Ola Lahaina page at www.MauiRecovers.org.

The land trust says listings of burned properties in Lahaina with prices well above their assessed land values pre-fire will draw outside investors and put properties out of the reach of local buyers. But sellers say it’s a tough call to put their properties on the market and that they’re just trying to recoup their losses and move on with their lives.

With residential debris removal nearly 100% complete in these areas, opening of the Wahikuli and Māla neighborhoods in Lahaina is set for Tuesday, Sept. 3, at noon. The opening includes zones 1C, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 3A, 3B, 3C, 4A, 4B and 4C, allowing clear access for residents, according to Maui Emergency Management Agency. As these zones reopen, security checkpoints will be reallocated to other areas in the Lahaina Impact Zone.

Student artwork that had adorned 1,000 lineal feet of mesh barrier fencing in Lahaina was removed last week to make way for a sewerline project supporting interim housing units and 29 homes on Fleming Road, the County of Maui announced. The artwork has been placed in storage for future use, including an installation at the Lahaina Civic Center later this year.

The first dozen or so Ka Laʻi Ola temporary housing units are nearly ready for occupancy by wildfire survivors in pre-fab, futuristic NanoNest tiny homes with curved ends and floor-to-ceiling transparent walls that take advantage of views of the ocean and West Maui Mountains.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery and Department of Planning will hold a planning workshop for the Lahaina Town Historic and Business Districts on Saturday, June 29, 2024, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. at the Lahainaluna High School cafeteria, located at 980 Lahainaluna Road. The workshop will address the core of Lahaina town’s historic and commercial areas, primarily makai of Honoapiʻilani Highway.

Officials shared several important updates for Lahaina residents including: lifting the Unsafe Water Advisory for a portion of Lahaina, amending sewer service status for certain parcels, fully reopening the first disaster zone and assisting with the installation of three mobile outdoor warning sirens.

With the roar of heavy machinery nearby, US Army Corps of Engineers officials showed how rapid progress is underway in transforming the once gently sloping grassland above Lahaina into a graded expanse needed to install 169 temporary modular homes for wildfire survivors.

Residents are encouraged to attend the County of Maui’s Weekly Disaster Recovery Community Update Meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 12, in the Lahaina Civic Center social hall.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery and Department of Planning today launched an online version of their Neighborhood Planning Workshops on the “Ola Lahaina” page of MauiRecovers.org. Through the month of June, residents may participate in the online workshop at their convenience from their laptop, tablet or phone. The online workshop is an opportunity for residents who were not able to attend past neighborhood workshops to share their thoughts, or for those who did attend to share more input.

The US Army Corps of Engineers and its contractors released its blasting plan for the Kilohana temporary housing site today. The contractor will generally blast once a day between 2-4 p.m., weather permitting, Monday through Saturday, for approximately the next 65 days. 

The County of Maui Office of Recovery and Department of Planning will hold a neighborhood planning workshop for Wahikuli residents to share their thoughts on topics specific to the area with county staff from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Lahainaluna High School Cafeteria.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery and Department of Planning will hold a neighborhood workshop for Kelawea Mauka residents from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at Lahainaluna High School Cafeteria, 980 Lahainaluna Road.  

More than 2,700 people over a two-week period participated in County of Maui surveys on proposed Permanent Disposal Sites for Lahaina wildfire ash and debris. March 1 is the target date for selecting the Permanent Disposal Site.