Maui County wants to transfer 33 acres of a larger parcel of land surrounding the southern terminus of the Lahaina Bypass to the state, which will pay the county $1.25 million for additional acreage it used to construct the bypass. Photo courtesy Maui County

Maui County is looking to transfer about 33 acres in Launiupoko to the state in the area surrounding the southern terminus of the Lahaina Bypass.

The Maui County Council’s Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee unanimously voted in support of a resolution to provide the land to the state Department of Transportation, which has agreed to pay the county $1.25 million for the additional acreage it used to construct Phase 1B-2 of the bypass as part of the realignment of Honoapiilani Highway.

The proceeds will be deposited into the Open Space, Natural Resources, Cultural Resources and Scenic Views Preservation Fund, according to the resolution.

The council members agreed that providing this property to the state would benefit the community. The land is located around the area where Honoapiilani Highway transitions to the Lahaina Bypass. The section of the highway was opened to the public in 2018.

However, there were a few concerns from Council Member Tamara Paltin, who holds the West Maui residency seat, about the highway traversing through a plumeria farm and an unmanaged encampment filled with abandoned vehicles and unsafe living conditions.

The project site includes pieces of the coastal highway through Hokiokio Place to the vicinity of Olowalu, ending at the northeast corner of Launiupoko.

Paltin said she does not support a sweep, but noted that before the land is transferred over to the state, there need to be clear plans or solutions on how to resolve the unmanaged encampment.

“Every day our office gets complaints about that area,” she said. “They would like that area addressed.”

Deputy Corporation Counsel Keola Whittaker said that it is under the jurisdiction of the county Department of Parks and Recreation as well as the Department of Housing and Human Concerns.

The county has also been in communications with the plumeria farm owner, which has been operating without property rights, Whittaker said.

He added that the resolution will enable the county or the state to respond to any issues occurring on the land that it owns and manages because it will “solve any sort of vagueness as to which party controls the land.”

Due to time sensitivity, the resolution was recommended on Tuesday but the item will be discussed further in Council Member Tasha Kama’s Human Concerns and Parks Committee to address any issues “as soon as possible,” said Council Member Mike Molina, who chairs the Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee.

“I think the concerns that member Paltin brought up on behalf of the community are valid concerns and I look forward to figuring out some solutions in the HCP committee on how to work all that out,” said Council Vice Chairwoman Keani Rawlins-Fernandez.

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