The Maui News

An informational meeting on the permitting process and land entitlements will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the West Maui Senior Center.

The county Planning Department has been holding meetings as part of updating the West Maui Community Plan. Community plans are long-range aspirational documents that direct future growth.

Community plans are distinct from the land entitlement process, which is the legal method of acquiring approvals to develop or to use a property and involves obtaining proper zoning and permits.

The purpose of the meeting is to describe the county’s permitting and land use approval process and to show how it is distinct from the community planning process.There will be an open house from 5 to 5:30 p.m., presentations from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. and a question-and-answer session from 6:45 to 8 p.m.

The West Maui Community Plan is the first of Maui island’s six community-specific plans to be updated since the County Council adopted the Maui Island Plan in 2012. The current West Maui Community Plan was adopted in 1996.

The update process involves numerous community meetings and workshops followed by the formation of a Community Plan Advisory Committee, which will review a draft updated plan and provide recommendations. The Maui Planning Commission then will review the draft plan and provide recommendations to the Maui County Council, which ultimately adopts the plan.

More information on the West Maui Community Plan update can be found at www.wearemaui.org and on Facebook and Instagram @wearemaui. The West Maui Senior Center is located at 788 Pauoa St.