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Kaopala Bay erosion puts shoreline at risk

Road, utilities like water lines may need to move

Coastal erosion can be seen along Lower Honoapiilani Road at Kaopala Bay in Kahana, between the intersections of Puamana Place and Hui Road “E.” As the eroding shoreline puts homes, the road and major utilities at risk, the county is discussing options that include realigning the roadway and relocating utilities. Photos courtesy of Maui County

Realigning a roadway and relocating utilities are some of the proposals to salvage a small shoreline in West Maui as sea level rise and erosion put properties and streets in jeopardy.

Maui County’s Department of Public Works held a virtual community meeting last week to discuss the accelerated coastal erosion near Kaopala Bay and to share potential alternatives to maintain roadway services.

“We have a unique challenge here with our roadway and existing utilities, as well as accessing properties fronting Kaopala Bay that, you know … conditions have continued to degrade over the years, so we’re in this process of evaluating solutions and alternatives,” said Public Works Director Jordan Molina during the meeting.

Munekiyo Hiraga project planner Charlene Shibuya pointed out that the main problems are that the shoreline at Kaopala Bay is eroding, Lower Honoapiilani Roadway is undermining and the loss of coastal roadways and routes between Hoohui Road and Napilihau Street will impact traffic in that area.

Major underground and overhead utilities are also at risk, such as water, sewer and telephone cables, Shibuya said. The driveways and individual properties along the roadway will also be compromised if nothing is done.

Kaopala Bay is one of many areas on Maui where sea level rise and coastal erosion are coming to a head.

Sea Engineering conducted a study following erosion in 2016-17, looking at different alternatives like shoreline protection, managed retreat, emergency repairs and a “do nothing” approach.

Public Works secured permits for emergency sandbag repairs in 2018 to be placed in the “worst spots,” she said.

A technical feasibility study was completed in July 2021 to develop realignment options.

Feedback from the community has also been collected over the years.

As of April, Shibuya said that “erosion is progressing,” which is why Public Works is going to apply for more permits to address the bay.

“If it gets any worse, the road starts to fall out,” she added.

The left side of the bay remains exposed and sandbags are mitigating erosion on the right.

But, in the middle, there’s a small drainage culvert outlet and rock wall that have experienced flooding and may be a cause of some of the erosion, she said, which the county has an improvement project plan for.

Some of the alternatives include:

• Option A, which calls for fully realigning the section of Lower Honoapiilani Roadway and relocating all the utilities near Puamana Place. Driveways on this section of road would have to be rerouted to the rears of their property while construction is underway. They’d have access via the proposed resigned roadway.

• Option B, which is similar to A, except the department is proposing to make a cul-de-sac at the north end of the proposed realigned road at a utility corridor. Access would be through the south end, makai side only.

• Option C, which would also include the realigned road and relocated utilities, except more similar to option B — keeping the cul-de-sac at the north end of the proposed realigned road, but extending the south end of the road up to Honoapiilani Highway to create mauka and makai access.

• Option D, which proposes a cul-de-sac in the same location, but extending the proposed road more to the north instead to allow access only on the north end.

During a community meeting in March that involved property owners of the area, two supported option A, none liked option B, two supported C and 10 favored option D.

There is also potential of impacting a historical site and existing family graveyard in the first three options.

Property owner Wendy Worcester said via Zoom last week that she doesn’t support options A, B and C, and had asked questions regarding a phased approach to road closures, considering that the road has already been closed for Kahana Bridge work.

Puamana Place resident George Gordon and some others suggested making the two-way roadway a one-way instead and moving the utilities to the other side of the road away from the shoreline, which would save “millions of dollars” as opposed to rerouting everything.

“Right now, I can hear, and you can probably hear, all the road vehicles behind my house — motorcycles, buses and everything — and yet you want to build another road behind my house,” Gordon said. “Therefore, I’m going to have one in front of me and two behind me. That’s a lot of noise.”

During the previous meeting, eight were supportive of other solutions considered for shoreline armoring, such as building a seawall or rock revetment, but “those do result in flanking erosion and do not address sea level rise,” Shibuya said last week.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources also does not support shoreline hardening, she added.

Some residents were opposed to the idea last week, too, noting the environmental and cultural impacts.

Generally supportive of option D, Cj Casco also said that shoreline hardening would just “cause more problems down the line” and that there are other resources and alternatives out there to resolve the situation.

Patricia Cadiz, who lives on the north shore but works in preservation with small pocket beaches, like Sugar Cove, suggested “working with nature” at Kaopala Bay by installing a rock revetment and adding sand.

“I am 200 percent against hardening that beach,” said Napili resident Junya Nakoa. “D is so far, I think, is the best one.”

However, Sandy Carr, who’s lived around the bay for 29 years and has “watched the erosion that’s happened,” said last week that she’d support shoreline hardening and requested that the DLNR study this particular shoreline.

“I’ve been very interested in this whole issue and wish we had a magical solution and I’ve looked over and participated in the previewing of solutions,” Carr said. “I feel like we’re unique and shouldn’t be judged by every other issue in the entire state.”

Options A, B, and C and the “do nothing” approach may be deleted moving forward, as they were not favorable among residents, said Kristi Ono from the Department of Public Works.

Still, residents are encouraged to send in their input, she said.

The timeline, which could take years, is dependent on the solution that is chosen, Ono said.

Next steps include presenting these findings to the county administration and County Council; deciding on a preferred alternative to address erosion; and pursuing permitting, design and construction.

For questions or comments, email DPWengineering@mauicounty.gov or call (808) 270-7745.

* Dakota Grossman can be reached at dgrossman@mauinews.com.

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