URGENT COMMUNITY ALERT!
OPPOSE MAUI COUNTY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION 25-167
Touch this hyperlink to join the online meeting from your PC or Phone: http:tinyurl.com/2p9zhjr2
Telephone Testimony call this #
1-808-977-4067, enter code 234 794 559#
Or email the mayor’s office: mayors.office@mauicounty.gov
September 3, 2025 Aloha Maui community, the PWA would like you to be aware of Maui county counsel resolution 25-167 that would grant exemptions and modifications to the Hale Mahaolu Ke Kahua affordable housing project in Waiehu. This 120 unit project is located on the ocean side of Kahekili Highway, from the intersection of Lower Waiehu Beach Road and Kahekili Highway and extends up to the entrance to the Waiehu Terrace Subdivision. The counsel decided to delay this vote as was reported in MauiNow article on Aug 27, 2025 due to no input from the community and lack of transparency concerns: (https://mauinow.com/2025/08/27/council-postpones-vote-on-waiehu-housing-project-after-debate-over-public-input/)
COMMUNITY ACTION IS REQUIRED TO SHOW THE COUNSEL YOUR OPINION ON THIS MATTER.
PWA wants to share these Key Talking Points with the community:
● The resolution was introduced with little notice (Aug. 18), leaving councilmembers and the public less than an hour to review before being asked to act.
● This undermines democratic process—the public deserves time to read, understand, and prepare testimony.
● Other projects have gone through fuller public hearings. Why is this one being pushed through differently?
● Resolution 25-167 grants exemptions from Maui County Code standards.
● Exemptions should never be handed out lightly—they weaken the checks and balances that protect communities, infrastructure, and environment.
● This sets a dangerous precedent: developers may expect “fast-tracking” and special treatment while the public gets left out.
● Residents have raised concerns about infrastructure, traffic, and water availability in Waiehu. These have not been fully addressed.
● Deferring testimony or squeezing public comment into rushed hearings sends the message that voices of the community don’t matter.
● Councilmembers are elected to represent the people, not rubber-stamp developer timelines.
● Councilmember Rawlins-Fernandez was correct: this project risks severing Kanaka Maoli from ancestral ʻāina they have stewarded for generations.
● Development without Kapaʻakai analysis or full cultural review continues the cycle of displacement and erasure.
● Housing is a need, but not at the expense of disconnection from land and culture.
● Supporters argue that delaying approval means missing out on Low-Income Housing Tax Credits.
● But urgency created by developer deadlines should not override public process and community protections.
● Affordable housing cannot come at the cost of democracy, culture, and sustainability.
● The housing crisis is real, but solutions should not pit people against each other or force a choice between housing and ʻāina.
● If exemptions and rushed approvals are granted here, why not for other communities facing urgent needs?
● Equity means consistent, fair process—not making exceptions for whichever project has the loudest push.
Resolution 25-167 shortchanges community voices, cultural protections, and environmental safeguards in the name of developer timelines. Maui deserves affordable housing AND a fair, transparent process that honors ʻāina and the people of the Waiehu-Waihee.
Thank you for your continued support!
Protect Waiehu Ahupua'a was created to use the power of education to advance environmental literacy, promote sustainable practices, protect natural resources and encourage civic engagement to create a more equitable and sustainable future for Waiehu Ahupua’a and Hawaii. We work with educators, policymakers, and partners throughout the state and world.
Find more information on the location of the proposed Waiehu Residential Community here
The Community Spoke about how they feel about this proposed development and Maui Now News published this story on 10/27/22:
Why is the PWA concerned? Previously, a California Developer and now DHHL & Local Dowling Development are trying to fast-track 752 homes along Kahekili Hwy. We support smart affordable housing but this is not pono - Not without a full Environmental Impact Statement! Imagine the impact of 50% more homes + traffic to our rural community and natural resources.
Maui County says this will have no significant impact. We disagree!
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Contact the Mayor’s office.
Contact all council members especially Tasha Kama, Chair of the Housing Committee
Stay tuned by signing up for our email list below.
Donate to our cause.
Visit our TAKE ACTION page for details and contact information.
Contact: pwamaui@gmail.com
Gail Nagasako, President PWA: 808-281-1549
Bobbie Parr, Vice President PWA: 808 250-8978