KIHEI -- Maui community groups say they're determined to halt development of two planned megamall shopping complexes off of Piilani Highway, even to the point of seeking relief in court.
The Maui Tomorrow foundation, South Maui Citizens for Responsible Growth and Kihei resident Daniel Kanahele last month filed appeals with state and county agencies challenging the project being built on land zoned for light industrial use.
The groups contend that an industrial park approved in the late 1990s for former landowner Kaonoulu Ranch is a far cry from the retail projects being developed by Irvine-Calif.-based Eclipse Development Group.
The majority of the standing-room-only crowd at Tuesday night's Kihei Community Association meeting seemed to agree. Many pledged to write letters to Mayor Alan Arakawa and South Maui County Council Member Don Couch to voice their opposition.
Executives with Eclipse declined an invitation to participate in the community meeting, which was dedicated to discussing the planned Piilani Promenade and Maui Outlets projects.
For more on the proposed mall and the meeting, see Thursday's edition of The Maui News.
