Maui County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Maui County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Lānaʻi bypass road condition
A decades-old condition required Pūlama to build a bypass road around Lānaʻi City once half the units were occupied — a trigger the downsized project will never hit. The committee split 5-4 on deleting it, with members arguing over safety, evacuation, and who should pay for infrastructure.
Mauka collector road and evacuation route feasibility study
Kihei is essentially a one-road-in, one-road-out community, and testifiers called it a death trap in a fire, tsunami, or flood. The plan emphasizes the North-South Collector Road, but speakers say a real second highway exit is still needed.
North-South Collector Road and eminent domain
Mayer called Piʻilani an eight-to-ten-mile cul-de-sac and estimated 6,800 additional vehicles if all planned units build out; the possible road link to Veterans Highway is a two-lane road with no funding in the plan.
North Kihei Road Relocation and Shoreline Management
Erosion has already eaten 600 feet of Mākena Lane, and the plan now 'must' address the inevitable relocation of North Kīhei Road. The committee added the MPO and DPW as lead agencies so the project can be prioritized for federal funding.
Developer infrastructure debt accounting
Longtime watchdog Christopher Salem again demanded a full ledger of thousands of old private developer reimbursement agreements he says shifted tens of millions onto residents.
Kīhei Mauka bypass and evacuation routes
After the 2023 fires and a tsunami scare, South Maui residents are scared about having only one road out of Kīhei. Public Works said the mauka bypass is a state project with no progress, and the county can't "require" the state to build it — but landowners and the Maui MPO may help get it moving.