The Maui County Council will be considering final passage of a bill to buy 273 acres of agriculturally zoned land owned by the Von Tempsky family. Courtesy photo

A proposal before Maui County Council to spend a little more than $14 million to buy 273 acres of agricultural-zoned land in Kula could be headed for final approval in December.

The bill was proposed by the Mayor Richard Bissen’s administration in an effort to develop and preserve agricultural lands in Kula in light of rising difficulties of farmers and ranchers in acquiring Maui land.

“I think the community as well as council members support it,” said council member Yuki Sugimura, whose budget committee approved the legislation this week.

The land owned by the Von Tempsky family is mauka of the Kula Community Center and was formerly known as Kula Ridge Mauka.

County Managing Director Josiah Nishita said the sale of the land by the Von Tempsky family is being offered to the county until Jan. 31.

“This is our shot basically at negotiating with them to get the property for public ownership,” Nishita told the council budget committee Thursday.

Nishita said the opportunity came up suddenly, and he hasn’t been able to hear out people’s ideas about various agricultural uses for the land. He said the legislation would enable the county to buy the land and that details of its use and administration could be worked out in the future.

Various uses include watershed restoration, grazing land, educational and agricultural activities and programs, park space and water source development. The legislation allows the county to purchase the land and its administration through general obligation bonds.

Council member Tom Cook said a real estate venture has already expressed interest in the land and is willing to spend more than $100 million for the land and development.

“I’m very supportive of this. It’s problematic and not perfect, but I’m willing to support this,” he said.

Some Council members expressed their appreciation for the Von Tempsky family’s offer to sell the land to the county.

Kula Community Association president Bobbie Patnode said that, at a meeting this week in Kula, about 90% of those in attendance were in favor of public ownership of the land. She also said she was in favor of preserving opening space and agriculture.

“We want it to be public,” said Patnode.

Nishita said the land has three residential water meters capable of providing farm water for half of the property, and there was a test well that had been drilled on the land, though he didn’t know the results of the test drilling.

Nishita also said a study could be done on how to capture stormwater that passes through the land. According to the state, water lines connecting upper to lower Kula already run across the land.

He said he anticipates that the land will have deer-proof fencing, but that discussion along with a number of other issues could be explored later.

The legislation set aside $100,000 for Haleakala Waldorf School for land management and watershed restoration.

Earlier this year, the Von Tempsky family sold the land beneath the Kula Community Center to the county.