Waiehu rental project’s fate remains undecided
Housing director poised to make call on project after committee vote falls short
After four meetings, a Maui County Council committee on Wednesday was unable to come to a decision on a 120-unit rental housing project in Waiehu, whose fate could now be determined by the Department of Housing and Human Concerns director.
Approval for the Ke Kahua Residential Workforce Rental Housing project, which would sit on an 11.5-acre site owned by Maui Economic Opportunity, fell short with a 3-2 vote in the council’s Housing and Land Use Committee. Five approval votes were needed.
Voting in favor were Council Members Tom Cook, Yuki Lei Sugimura and Nohelani U‘uHodgins. Those voting in opposition were Council Members Keani Rawlins-Fernandez and Shane Sinenci.
Council Chairwoman Alice Lee and Council Member Tamara Paltin were excused. Committee Chairwoman Tasha Kama and Council Member Gabe Johnson had recused themselves and were excused from the meeting.
Kama, who had been an MEO board member until earlier this month, said that the Board of Ethics recommended that she recuse herself from participating and voting on the project. Kama resigned her board member position on March 9 and has sought new guidance from the board.
Johnson, who is also an MEO board member, also recused himself. He said he will stay on as a board member.
After the guidance from the Ethics Board, committee Vice Chairman Cook led the meetings.
The committee needed to take action at its Wednesday meeting in order to ensure the project would be able to reach the full council for a vote by an April 22 deadline.
The project, which is being developed by Waiehu Housing LP and managed by the nonprofit Hale Mahaolu, is being fasttracked under Maui County Code Chapter 2.97, which gives the full council a 60-day deadline to act on the project. The project is seeking 12 exemptions from the county.
After the committee was unable reach a decision and Cook deferred the issue Wednesday, it will languish in committee until the April 22 deadline, then will
be sent to Housing and Human Concerns Director Lori Tsuhako, who will have 14 days to approve or disapprove the application, council staff said during the meeting.
According to the code, if the director does not take action within 14 days, then the application will be deemed approved. (Stories published previously on the housing project incorrectly stated the approval process due to information provided to The Maui News).
Tsuhako said Wednesday afternoon that the “department supports the project.” When the project reaches her department, they will discuss any concerns and requested exemptions with other county departments.
Tsuhako said they have listened to the meetings and also heard the council members’ concerns, and “we will take everything into consideration.” They will also work with the developer in ensuring the project can be constructed, she said.
Ke Kahua would consist of 13 two-story buildings containing 120 multifamily residential units of one, two and three bedrooms. It will be composed of 100 percent affordable rentals and restricted to applicants earning 60 percent or less of the area median income.
The project will also include a 3,477-squarefoot nonprofit building, a 3,231-square-foot clubhouse for project residents, two play areas with playground equipment, two on-site laundry facilities, a maintenance room and 274 parking stalls and two loading stalls. The site is at the intersection of Kahekili Highway and Waiehu Beach Road.
At the committee’s first meeting on Feb. 28, there was testimony both for and against the project with advocates discussing a need for affordable housing while others noted traffic and drainage issues, as well as concerns over ownership of the land with the Pehuino family saying the property was granted to their ancestors. MEO has maintained that the ownership issue has been decided in court and the lands awarded to the family were not within the MEO property.
The concerns resonated with council members.
Sinenci said the project “lacks some sufficient infrastructure,” and pointed to testifiers’ concerns over drainage issues and the need to “upgrade the Kahekili Highway to include adequate sidewalks, bus stops and traffic calming measures, especially when considering future development across the highway.” He also noted the issues with clear title.
Sinenci also wanted an updated archaeological inventory survey for the area to protect any iwi kupuna that may be found. He hoped all of his concerns could be addressed before the project gets rolling.
“If we are to significantly alter the Waiehu community landscape, then we should take the time to consider all the potential impacts,” Sinenci said.
Rawlins-Fernandez commended those involved in the project and their contributions to the community, but said, “I cannot support this project,” and echoed Sinenci’s concerns.
She described the project as “amazing,” but added, “I’m just really sorry it’s in the wrong place.”
“I tried really hard to get you a location that would be better because I wanted to support you folks in the work you guys were doing,” said Rawlins-Fernandez, who had proposed swapping 11.5 acres of land in Puunene for the 11.5-acre Waiehu housing site.
MEO CEO Debbie Cabebe has said they appreciated the gesture but that there are “too many unknowns” regarding a land swap. It could delay the project by five to 10 years, and a lot of time and funds have already been expended.
Cook, in explaining his support, said, “I am very sensitive to all of the concerns. It is not lost on me, I’m not callused in any way and I’m receptive. This particular project, it’s so unique for the 60 percent and below (area median income), the people who are going to be living there — I believe many of them are currently houseless.”
He also was concerned about adding delays to the project.
“The location, if it could be a different location, would be great,” Cook said. “I believe if we delay this project for any reasons that this project will not be built. And I have not seen many projects like this come before us before.”
With MEO and Hale Mahaolu working together, Sugimura said, “this project to me is highly unusual.”
“They live and they eat and breathe the passion that we all talk about,” she said of the nonprofits. “They are bringing to us 120 affordable housing rentals to the people who may not be able to afford” a home.