Pukalani housing project wins OK from land panel

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MAKENA - A 170-unit subdivision in Pukalani was advanced Thursday by the state Land Use Commission.

Pukalani Associates' Kauhale Lani would develop a 50-acre parcel west of Old Haleakala Highway with new homes, while a second 39-acre parcel running along the new Haleakala Highway would be kept as an open area with trails and recreational amenities.

The Land Use Commission's action granted a state district boundary amendment from "agricultural" to "urban" for the land, which was used for pineapple cultivation. The property is already designated for single-family homes in the community plan but would need to come before the Maui County Council for rezoning before it could be developed.

Pukalani resident Darlene Valencia said she was concerned about the project's impact on traffic in her neighborhood and didn't think the high-priced homes would fit in her community. She said she was "disappointed" by Thursday's decision and would continue to lobby against the project.

"It still has to go to the council," she said.

The commission imposed a number of requirements on the project, including requiring the developer to build all homes to meet the criteria for a "silver" certification by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building rating system.

Representatives of Pukalani Associates argued the requirement would be too costly, and asked for looser guidelines.

"We believe the objective of sustainable design and construction should be achieved on a voluntary basis," said attorney William Yuen.

But an attorney for the state Office of Planning said that wasn't acceptable.

Deputy Attorney General Bryan Yee said the state had to have some way of enforcing the requirement that the homes be energy efficient, and that the cost of meeting the LEED criteria was "reasonable" given the expected million-dollar price tag of the homes.

"These are consumers that are able to bear the upfront costs," he said.

As a separate condition of approval, the Land Use Commission required the developers to complete "backbone" infrastructure, such as major roads, sewer and waterlines, for the project within 10 years, or else potentially lose the urban designation of the land.

* Ilima Loomis can be reached at iloomis@mauinews.com.