The Maui Planning Commission voted 6-1 to approve a Special Management Area permit allowing new restroom facilities and expanded parking at Makena State Park. The revised plan includes turtle-friendly lighting limits and a mix of paved and pervious parking surfaces.
- Two restroom buildings with showers and additional parking will be built at the 164.4-acre park, which includes Big Beach and Black Sand Beach.
- Nighttime lighting was scaled back significantly — exterior lights shut off at 8 p.m. and reduced to one shielded fixture per building — to protect nesting sea turtles.
- Parking expansion was revised to favor pervious surfaces over paved stalls, with paved spots limited to ADA-compliant spaces only.
- The commission required the state to submit a park carrying-capacity study by July 31, 2028, assessing ecological and environmental impacts.
- One commissioner dissented, arguing the facilities are unnecessary and risk increasing impact on one of Maui’s last dark-sky beaches.
Source: Maui News
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