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Can everybody be right if nobody is wrong?
Last week's state Department of Land and Natural Resources community meeting concerning Lahaina Harbor and Mala Boat Ramp drew knowledgeable testimony from stakeholders representing a variety of interests. Some focused on the future while suggesting ways to improve, modernize and even enlarge the facilities to better accommodate both commercial and public interests. Others looked to Lahaina's past for guidance. These folks lobbied for less commercial access, no cruise ships and a commitment from the state to tend to local needs first. Expanding the harbor is not an option, they said.
We expect these sorts of contrasting visions to be voiced many times in the months and years to come as each portion of Lahaina town's future is hammered out. All sides appear to see the devastation wrought by the fires as an opportunity to shape the town as they see fit. Driving interests include economic, cultural, historical and personal desires. Property rights, tax revenues, rising seas and the need to mitigate future fire disasters will also play key roles.
As opening rounds go, the DLNR meeting was about as calm as could be expected. While we were in attendance, there was no shouting or booing in the crowd. A few admonishments against overstep were directed at DLNR officials and a few exceptions voiced by speakers when it was their turn, but folks let others have their say. Many testifiers were longtime users of the harbor and ramp. They shared their concerns and specific knowledge, offered informed suggestions.
We hope similar restraint is shown in future gatherings when the footprint of the entire town is on the table. The DLNR meeting was held less than three months after the fires. What happens in a year or two when frustrations and economic hardships have built and the stakes are infinitely higher? An eternal optimist might dream of a compromise that satisfies everyone. A pessimist would envision a stalemate where nothing gets done or the results are so convoluted they are disasters. The cynic always bets on the money. They expect people with the most to have their way.
If it wasn't so darned important, the unfolding drama would be prime entertainment. The fires were still smoldering when we first started thinking about the battles to come. We knew who some of the players would be, but certainly not all of them. Who could have foreseen how many outside interests would descend upon West Maui?
As Lahaina draws on its past to design its future, we encourage all stakeholders to embrace this opportunity with open hearts and minds. What made Lahaina so beloved was its people, not its buildings. Locals, transplants, free spirits, kupuna, hard workers, artists, craftsmen, drunks and deacons, Lahaina was a community that thrived in its diversity.
What a worthy legacy to preserve for generations to come.