Developers reduce project size to avoid cultural sites
Makena Golf & Beach Club will scale back from 134 to 103 units
Makena Golf & Beach Club will reduce the overall units of its already approved construction project to avoid disturbing archaeological and cultural sites in the area.
The Maui Planning Commission voted 6-1 on Tuesday to allow developers to downsize the mixed-used development on the land above Makena Landing from 134 units to 103, as well as reduce the 47.2-acre project area by 5 acres.
“There’s quite a few things that are being addressed,” Chairperson Christian Tackett said during the virtual meeting. “We’re getting affordable houses, we’re getting highpaying jobs and they’re promising local workers for it, and we’re preserving the ancestry of what makes this place so special.”
Kaimi Judd, vice president of development for Makena Golf & Beach Club, said that they wanted to amend the special management area use permit for the Makena Resort project, which was originally approved back in 2017, to maintain the cultural integrity of multiple sites that were discovered in the area.
“For the last nine years, we’ve been meeting with the entire Makena community and we continue to meet regularly, virtually, even despite COVID,” Judd said during his presentation. “They’ve been supportive of this process.”
In addition, developers have met with a cultural focus group that has “guided and advised the cultural and historical efforts of the project,” Judd said.
“I commend the developer for asking to give back rather than asking for more, respecting the cultural sites and being willing to accommodate and make changes to preserve these areas and protect them,” said commissioner Jerry Edlao.
Commissioner Mel Hipolito Jr. said “it’s very rare that we see nonprofits, community groups work with the developer.”
The changes will remove five multifamily four-story buildings entirely from the project north of Honoiki Street, which will eliminate 37 multifamily units, and replace them with six single-family, two-story residences, according to project documents. The portion south of Honoiki Street will remain unchanged “until further archaeological progress is made.” The project could also be modified in the future.
With the reductions, there will now be 30 multifamily units, as opposed to 67, but an increase in single-family custom lots, totaling 32 instead of 26. There will still be 18 single-family cottages, 14 condos, nine transient vacation rental units and 27,300 square feet of commercial space.
Changes to density and scale will improve infrastructure and utility needs; reduce any congestion caused by traffic be
cause there will be fewer cars; reduce the amount of water required by about 16,500 gallons per day, as well as over 7,000 gallons in projected wastewater; and improve the views from Makena Alanui Road where the ocean and mountains will still be seen, according to Judd.
Commissioner Kellie Pali said “we should celebrate” that the process allowed a developer to withdraw and make positive changes to their SMA after working with local community members and cultural organizations.
“I think we should be celebrating these milestones and that this could be a new culture,” Pali said. “This is what it could look like, like we can all play in the sandbox together where we can preserve our cultural sites, our history, our heritage and also find a balance of building affordable homes moving forward in the future and so, I support the reduction of this project.”
While it could set an example for other projects moving forward, commissioner Kim Thayer noted that much of the survey work and communication could have been done sooner.
“While I think it’s really good and awesome that all these groups came out to work on this, I think in the future for other developments, I think it would be best for most of these things to be flushed out ahead of time,” said Thayer. “While it’s really good that we’ve come to this place, which is better for everyone included, I do appreciate that, hopefully, future projects do a better job of uncovering all these things and bringing them to the surface at the onset rather than at this point in the game.”
Commissioners Tackett, Edlao, Hipolito Jr., Thayer, Pali and Ashley Lindsey supported the changes, while commissioner Kawika Freitas was opposed. Commissioner Dale Thompson and Vice Chairperson P. Denise La Costa were not in attendance.