Category: Government & Policy

Haiku/Haili’imaile Water Outage Mostly Resolved; Flushing Underway

A mainline break caused a water service outage in the Hali’imaile area on September 21. Repairs are complete and service is being restored, with crews flushing lines to clear air and sediment. A mainline break in Hali’imaile caused a water outage beginning around 11:45 a.m. on September 21. Maui County Department of Water Supply crews […]

Paia Rezoning Draws Fire Evacuation Safety Concerns at Planning Commission

A Wailuku resident is urging the Maui County Council to pause action on the EC Pāʻia Town Project rezoning until a formal wildfire evacuation study is completed for the area. The letter argues that the current traffic analysis does not account for emergency evacuation conditions on Pāʻia’s single-highway exit route. The Maui County Planning Commission […]

South Maui 20-Year Growth Plan Stalls Over Water Limits and $500M+ Cost Gap

Maui County Council is reviewing the long-awaited South Maui Community Plan, which aims to guide two decades of growth but faces a water system near capacity, a 2030 cesspool conversion deadline, and infrastructure costs exceeding half a billion dollars with no identified funding for many projects. The South Maui Community Plan would replace the 1998 […]

South Maui Growth Plan Raises Infrastructure Cost and Evacuation Concerns

The Maui County Council is reviewing the South Maui Community Plan update and finding that most capital projects lack cost estimates, with known costs already totaling $554 million. Council members are also pressing whether evacuation routes in Kīhei, Wailea, and Mākena are adequate given wildfire risk. The Council committee is doing a section-by-section review of […]

South Maui Town Hall Sept. 30 to Cover Roads, Flood Recovery, Land-Use Plan

Maui County Council Member Tom Cook will host a public town hall on September 30 in Kīhei covering storm recovery, road improvements, flood mitigation, and updates on the South Maui Community Plan. The meeting takes place at 6 p.m. at the Malcolm Center. The Sept. 30 town hall will address recovery from Hurricane Lowell and […]

Maui Bicycling League Pushes to Unify $600M West Maui Transport Projects

The Maui Bicycling League is urging state and county officials to coordinate nearly $600 million in planned West Maui transportation projects — including highway realignments, a bypass, and a greenway — into a single connected network. The group says post-fire recovery presents a rare opportunity to modernize infrastructure for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and transit riders. […]

Kula Hospital Storm Repairs Ongoing, No Reopening Timeline Set

Kula Hospital’s long-term care facility and emergency department remain closed following March Kona low storm damage, with no timetable announced for repairs or reopening. Displaced patients are being temporarily housed at other Maui facilities and on Oahu. Maui Health and the state are still assessing how to repair and reopen storm-damaged sections of Kula Hospital […]

Upcountry Maui Water Conservation Request in Effect Through Early November

Maui County is asking Upcountry Maui water customers to reduce usage while the Kamole Water Treatment Plant undergoes a 6–8 week membrane retrofit upgrade. Available treatment capacity will be temporarily reduced until the plant returns to service around early November. The Kamole Water Treatment Plant is offline for upgrades, reducing Upcountry Maui water system capacity […]

West Maui Eyes $600M in Coordinated Transportation Projects Post-Fire

Community members and the Maui Bicycling League met in Lahaina to discuss coordinating roughly $600 million in planned transportation projects across West Maui. Organizers stressed the importance of designing these investments as one connected network rather than isolated improvements. Five major projects are planned or underway in West Maui, including the Honoapiʻilani Highway coastal realignment, […]

Hawaii Tests Artificial Reef to Shield Coastal Roads from Wave Damage

Hawaii researchers are deploying 60 large concrete structures off Oahu to grow a living reef that could reduce wave energy and protect vulnerable coastal highways. The experiment addresses a statewide problem: hundreds of miles of state roads face erosion and flooding with little room to be moved inland. The Kalaeloa Hybrid Reef Project places 60 […]