Community planning in South Maui during a pandemic
COVID-19 has upended daily life in so many ways.
Whether putting on a mask to go to the store, or greeting our friends with a wave instead of a hug, the way we live today is different on many levels.
Our work lives have changed, too.
Maybe you wash your hands more, or sanitize counters between customers. Maybe there is a shield between you and the people you help, or you work from home and interact with your co-workers through virtual meetings.
Because the world has changed around us, community planning has had to change, too. The Long Range Division of the Maui County Planning Department works with our various communities to create a longrange vision for the development and preservation of Maui Nui’s lands. Right now, the department is finishing up the West Maui Community Plan, which is pending approval by the County Council, and we are well on our way with the update of the South Maui Community Plan.
The South Maui update got its start just as pandemic protocols were being issued. In response to the number and variations of protocols, we had to rethink the way we would safely interact with the community. We pulled together a group of community leaders from across South Maui to help guide us: the South Maui Alaka‘i. Throughout this project, the Alaka‘i have helped us figure out how to turn workshops we would have done in person into virtual workshops that still give us the feedback we need to draft the plan, all while keeping everyone safe.
The website — southmaui.wearemaui .org — has become a centerpiece for this work. With the website, we are accessible to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week. People can engage in activities on the website, and can learn more about how this unique community works by reviewing the research papers that are posted. You can find videos of our Facebook Live town hall meetings, and recaps of what we have heard from the public so far. And, we have an active presence on social media with our handle @wearesouthmaui for both Facebook and Instagram.
This week, we launched a new phase of public engagement in the South Maui Community Plan update: community design. We want to know what you think should change or stay the same over the next 20 years. Do you like the new offleash area for dogs at Kenolio Park, and want more street trees along South Kihei Road? Do you wish there were more sidewalks in neighborhoods, and want certain areas to stay undeveloped? You have three ways to tell us your ideas.
1. Participate in our online community design workshop through October 17. Whenever you have time, check out our community design workshop. Using a simple mapping technology, you can drop pins on a map of South Maui to tell us the location of what you want to stay the same and what you want to change. Gather everyone in your house and do the workshop together. You can find it here: https://weare maui.mysocialpinpoint.com/cdmap
2. Join us for South Maui “Talk Story Tuesdays.” Starting September 21 through the end of October, every Tuesday we are hosting a Zoom-based virtual talk story with folks from South Maui. Drop by any time between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. to share your mana?o about your community. You can join any of these Talk Story meetings at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8282397 3989
3. Invite us to come talk to your community group. If you have a group or club that would like to share their vision for the future of South Maui with long-range planners, reach out to schedule a virtual meeting. We can answer your questions and will be glad to hear what you have to say. To schedule a meeting, send us an email at wearesouthmaui@mauicounty.gov
In community planning, it’s important for us to meet you where you are so together we can create the most inclusive community plan possible. Now, the safest place for us all is at home or outside with our families. We wanted to give the South Maui community a way to keep thinking about the future while staying safe at home. Through the end of October, please join us online to share your ideas.