The Maui County Planning Department is holding public meetings in October to gather community input on redrawing the Special Management Area (SMA) boundary, which has not been reassessed since the 1970s. The project aims to create a science- and culture-based boundary that accounts for climate change while reducing unnecessary permitting burdens.
- The SMA boundary review could affect permitting requirements for properties near the coast, including vacation rentals in affected zones.
- Meetings are scheduled in East Maui (Oct. 7), North Shore (Oct. 14), and South Maui (Oct. 21); West and Central Maui meetings were held in September.
- The goal is to balance environmental protection with reducing excessive review burdens on residents and the Planning Department.
- This assessment will only produce boundary recommendations — it will not amend SMA rules or cover Molokaʻi or Lānaʻi.
Source: Maui Now
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