The Maui News

Maui County Council Member Elle Cochran said Wednesday that she plans to offer an amendment to a proposed “affordable accessory dwellings” bill that would prohibit their use as short-term rentals or bed-and-breakfast operations.

The council’s Planning Committee is set to meet at 9 a.m. today in Council Chambers to take up the proposed bill that establishes the new permitted use in county residential districts on lots of 5,000 to 7,499 square feet. The bill also would allow a second accessory dwelling on lots over 15,000 square feet.

The dwellings would need to be built to accommodate immediate family members or people of specific income groups to increase the availability of affordable housing.

“While I applaud the bill’s intent, I have today introduced an amendment to strengthen the bill by prohibiting accessory dwellings from use as a bed-and-breakfast home or a short-term rental home, unless there’s an existing permit or a new permit is obtained during a grace period,” Cochran said. “In this way, more housing will be available for long-term use.”

Cochran said the bill is intended to promote long-term housing at a more affordable rental rate. It is one of a number of methods the council is considering to expand housing inventory.

“The bill has enormous potential for owners of lots previously considered too small to further develop,” Cochran said. “My amendment would simply close a loophole. I don’t want to see the good intentions of the bill diluted by short-term rentals, which would undercut the target population we are trying to provide housing for.”

Cochran’s amendment is availableat mauicounty.us/cochran. Testimony may be emailed to pc.committee@mauicounty.us, referencing PC-28.