The Maui News
June 6, 2009
By ILIMA LOOMIS, Staff Writer
MAKENA – The state Land Use Commission on Thursday unanimously approved a request by Alexander & Baldwin to designate more than 27,000 acres on Maui as important agricultural lands.
The designation includes lands currently being used for sugar cane cultivation and other farming activity in Central Maui and Makawao. But it does not include some areas where A&B has previously indicated an interest in development, including lands along the island’s north shore and in Maalaea and Haliimaile. County and state officials said they would have liked the designation to include the additional fields.
"It’s like kissing your sister," said county Planning Director Jeff Hunt. "It’s a nice application, but it could have been a little bit better."
Lands designated as important agricultural lands by the state face more restrictions on development than lands that are merely zoned for agriculture or are in the state’s agricultural land-use district. While owners can use a portion of the land to build housing for farm workers, the property cannot be developed into residential subdivisions.
Land also must meet certain criteria in order to receive the designation, including soil quality and water availability to support agricultural production.
There can be incentives to seek designation; landowners can seek fast-track reclassification of lands into urban use for 15 percent of the acreage in an application, if 85 percent of the application is for important agricultural designation.
But A&B representatives said the company would waive the reclassification option, as well as any development credits it could have received in the deal.
The Land Use Commission previously approved A&B’s application to designate 3,773 acres on Kauai as important agricultural lands.
While Hunt said he appreciated A&B’s willingness to waive incentives for the designation, he said the county wanted to see the same protection for the company’s agricultural lands in Maalaea, Haliimaile and the north shore.
"We just want to put A&B and everyone on notice that the county may protect these agricultural lands through the General Plan update," he said.
The county could block development on the lands by excluding them from urban growth areas in the General Plan.
Officials with the state Office of Planning said they also had reservations about giving the important agriculture designation to some lands that were at lower levels for soil quality or rainfall, such as rocky gulches that bisect some cane fields.
About 59 percent of the designated lands have the top rating for soil quality, while 14 percent have the second-highest grade. The remaining 27 percent have the lowest three grades, and 1 percent is not classified.
Maui Tomorrow Executive Director Irene Bowie questioned the exclusion of cane fields on the north shore, Maalaea and Haliimaile, where A&B has previously taken steps to initiate development.
"I am concerned with what is not on the map more than what is on the map," she said.
Land Use Commissioners said they felt A&B’s voluntary effort to preserve the lands for agriculture was commendable.
Commissioner Randy Piltz called the designation "a gift to the state of Hawaii."
"This is a great day for Maui," said Commissioner Lisa Judge, who got choked up. "Having a child, and seeing you’re going to put 27,000 acres for the future of agriculture, is a great thing."
