Council approves Honua'ula zoning 5-4

WAILUKU -- The Maui County Council early Wednesday approved project district zoning for the Honua‘ula residential project on a 5-4 vote nearly 16 hours after opening their meeting.

"This isn't a perfect project," said Council Member Michael Molina. "But people are going to keep having babies, and people are going to keep wanting to live here. It's a beautiful place."

During the day, which began at 9 a.m. Tuesday, more than 30 people spoke for and against the Honua‘ula plan, which includes a golf course, commercial center, parks and 1,400 homes. Those against Honua ula said it would eliminate wilderness, damage the marine environment and likely provide homes out of the financial reach of ordinary working people.

Proponents have said it will create much-needed affordable housing for working people, as well as construction jobs for years to come.

In statements tinged with reflections on his upbringing as a Native Hawaiian, Council Member Bill Medeiros said it was hard not to support affordable housing.

"But for me, when Hawaiian issues are brought up, I know this is hard for some people to understand, but I feel the presence of my kupuna, and we need to respect what was left for us by our ancestors," he said. "I have to respect my constituents."

Honua‘ula Partners LLC representative Charlie Jencks, who said the project would cost up to $800 million, expressed relief at the action taken at 12:49 a.m.

"I think it's bee a long time coming," said Jencks, who spent much of the evening pacing in the back of the room. "We are very grateful to everyone who supported us through this arduous process."

Honua‘ula is a revised plan for the 670-acre project district included in the 1993 version of the Kihei-Makena Community Plan, designated Kihei-Makena Project District 9 (Wailea 670). The original plan, which was for more than 2,000 new homes and two golf courses, was granted zoning only for the golf courses.

The bills approved on final reading Wednesday morning revises the zoning for the entire 670-acre parcel, with council members attaching 30 conditions to the zoning. The conditions include:

• Expanding Piilani Highway to four lanes to Wailea Ike Drive and other traffic improvements

• Contributing $5 million to development of a new South Maui Community Park planned in the Waipuilani area.

• $24 million in public park assessments

• $4.2 million in school impact fees

• Create a cultural resources preservation plan in conjunction with state and federal biologist and cultural specialists.

• Develop water sources and a wastewater treatment plant

• Provide for one day of public play on the private golf course.

In addition to Molina, Council Members Gladys Baisa, Joe Pontanilla, Danny Mateo and Mike Victorino voted to approve the bills.

Council Members Medeiros, Michelle Anderson, JoAnne Johnson and Riki Hokama voted against the bills.

For more on this story, see Thursday's Maui News.