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Kanaha Office Building Seeks to Fill In Wetlands
The activity proposed to take place in waters of the U.S. will involve permanentlyfilling 0.95 acres (41,149 sq. ft.) of jurisdictional wetlands. Read the Kanaha Medical Plaza Request to Fill Wetlands
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Superferry Sister Ship: Navy Finds “Agressive” Corrosion
State Legislators Beware – If you buy the Superferries, you may be getting a rust-bucket. This is the same company and virtually the same design as the “Superferry”. Bloomberg News Reports The U.S. Navy has discovered “aggressive” corrosion in Austal Ltd. (ASB)’s first new combat ship designed for operating close to shore. The corrosion is […]
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What is the Real Situation with the Kanaha Building?
by Mike Moran Now that this topic has been addressed in a May 27 article, it seems even more incredible. The planning commission says no significant impact for a six-story, 93-foot building to be constructed at Kanaha Pond abutting the wildlife refuge, a designated National Natural Landmark, upon pile-driven beams slammed into the wetland base […]
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Planning Commission Doesn’t Like Kanaha Medical Bldg Height
From the Maui Newsby Harry Eager A presentation on the proposed Maui Medical Plaza project to the Maui Planning Commission this week revealed a difference of opinion about where the core of the Kahului commercial district lies. The site backs up on a bird refuge, but it also lies between Kahului Harbor and Kahului Airport. […]
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Kanaha Wetlands Pump Fails
Maui News has an article on the woes of the Kanaha wildlife refuge which include the pump which keeps the wetlands wet failing, feral cats killing the birds in the Wildlife Refuge, nearby property owners complaining about water drainage and the FAA complaining about birds.
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6-story Kanaha Office Building Defered
Maui Planning Commission decided unanimously to postpone discussion on the draft environmental assessment for the proposed Maui Medical Plaza building and parking garage in Kahului next to the Kanaha wetlands. They’ll take it up again at their next meeting in the second week of August. Commissioner Ward Mardfin said that the Commission took this step […]
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Friends of Lana’i: Big Wind
By ROBIN KAYE The June 14 article about Maui County’s powerful letter to the Public Utilities Commission – and the county’s decision to intervene in Hawaiian Electric Co.’s request to be reimbursed by ratepayers to the tune of $4 million – contained a number of inaccuracies. The article identifies two organizations that were denied intervention […]
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Star Advertiser: Big Wind Must Be Transparent
The attempt by Honolulu-based Life of the Land to intervene so it could gain access to all the information about the project has been rejected by the PUC. The environmental organization’s executive director, Henry Curtis, said his attempt to obtain public documents from the state has been resisted. Curtis said the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism said it would cost Life of the Land $15,000 for photocopies of all its Big Wind material, and the PUC would charge $8,000 for copies of its documents.
PUC Chairwoman Hermina Morita says it complied with the law on Curtis’s request, which asked for an overabundance of information (see today’s Letters to the Editor), and that anyone can view the commission’s website.
But while the PUC is not bound by the information disclosure standards of other state agencies, it needs to be acutely aware that public accessibility and understanding is crucial to what would be the priciest, most controversial public utility project in the state’s history, even at this pre-EIS stage. The movers and shakers need to ensure comprehensive openness as the state environmental impact statement process unfolds with an abundance of hearings and thorough public scrutiny.
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Template for Maui Island Plan Comments
A sample template you can follow for sending written testimony regarding your recommended changes to the Goals, Objectives, and Policies found in Chapter 2: COMMENTS FROM DATE: NAME: ADDRESS: TO:PLANNING DIRECTOR SPENCE, GENERAL PLAN COMMITTEE CHAIR BAISA, AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS EMAIL ADDRESS TO: gp.committee@mauicounty.us, planning@mauicounty.gov RE: MIP CHAPTER 2 HERITAGE RESOURCES SAMPLE PLEASE CONSIDER THE […]
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Maui County: Prevent HECO Charging Ratepayers for Big Wind Planning
Earlier this summer, Hawaiian Electric asked for a new docket, 2011-0112, to allow it to be reimbursed for $3.9 million spent on planning. County Energy Coordinator Doug McLeod says the total is closer to $7 million, much of that from federal stimulus funds, and the project seems to be much further along than the public […]
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