ML&P plans for preserve discussed

The Save Honolua Coalition and Honolua Advisory Council have set up two public meetings over the next week to discuss the proposal by Maui Land & Pineapple Co. to set aside Honolua Bay, Lipoa Point and thousands of acres of West Maui land as preserves.

The company announced last month that it is willing to designate eight miles of coastline from Honolua Bay to Nakalele Point and 3,476 acres of agricultural, forest and watershed lands in exchange for new zoning allowances for its luxury Kapalua Mauka project in West Maui.

The company, grass-roots organizations and representatives of the Mayor's Office will be at the meetings. The first will be at 6 p.m. Thursday at the new Learning Center of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary at 726 S. Kihei Road.

The second will be at 6 p.m. Monday at the Kaunoa Senior Center in Spreckelsville. Mayor Charmaine Tavares will attend this meeting.

Leaders of the two community organizations also will give their "One Plan One Pulse" presentation, which is intended to collect community input and lay out proposals for land and sea preservation.

Maui Land & Pine initially proposed a golf course and residential development at Lipoa Point but withdrew the plan after the Save Honolua Coalition formed in opposition. In opening the dialogue on use of its West Maui lands, ML&P reached an agreement in which the community groups accepted a proposal to allow the 690 residential properties being developed in Kapalua Mauka to operate as short-term rentals.

ML&P's Kapalua Land Co. will also seek credits on county parks donations and fees for granting preservation status to the coastal lands.

Kapalua Mauka is a 952-acre residential project district and golf course expansion of the Kapalua Resort.