Maui Council Budget Committee Approves A&B Deal

The Budget and Finance Committee approved the acquisition of approximately 4 acres in Maui Business Park II in Kahului for a new service center from A&B, which also comes with a 35.55 acre donation of land extending from Baldwin Beach Park towards Paia Town. This will have to be approved

HECO drops undersea cable plan

According to Pacific Business News, HECO is not including the interisland electric cable in their new plan.  According to the article gubernatorial candidate, Duke Aiona, says he supports the undersea cable. Maui Electric Power Supply Improvement Plan Hawai’i Electric Light Power Supply Improvement Plan Hawaiian Electric Power Supply Improvement Plan

HECO submits new plan – delays substantial rooftop solar increases

On April 28, 2014 the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (“PUC” or “Commission”) ordered the Hawaiian Electric Companies (“HECO Companies”) to develop and implement major improvement action plans to aggressively pursue energy cost reductions, proactively respond to emerging renewable energy integration challenges, improve the interconnection process for customer-sited solar photovoltaic (“PV”)

Abercrombie appoints real estate professional to Land Use Commission

Kent Hiranaga was among three individuals that were nominated to serve on the state Land Use Commission.  Hiranga worked for A&B Properties, one of Hawaii’s biggest land developers and currently heads Maui Kai Realty. This is an interesting choice for an agency that is tasked with regulating land use. This

Dirty Water Warnings for Aug 2014

See updated warnings at hawaii.edu

Federal Judge Invalidates Kauai’s Anti-GMO Law

While saying that residents worried about pesticide exposure had valid concerns and that Federal law did not pre-empt the Kaua’i GMO-Pesticide ordinance, the judge indicated that section 165-3 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes pre-empted the counties abilities to regulate farming, pesticides or GMOs. Read more (including the decision) at CivilBeat.com

Old Maui High available for lease

Maui County is seeking public proposals from groups interested in using the Old Maui High School campus in Hamakuapoko, and is offering the facility under a 20 year lease for $1 per year. The Office of Economic Development issued an open Request For Proposal, seeking a group or organization interested

Piilani Promenade Files Draft EIS

Developers for the proposed Piʻilani Promenade in South Maui have filed a draft environmental impact statement for the project. The project calls for the development of a mix of light industrial and business/commercial uses with approximately 226 apartment units on 75 acres of land mauka of the Piʻilani Highway in

Pi‘ilani Promenade will kill existing commercial centers in Kihei

By Mark Hyde Besides the fact that the Pi’ilani Promenade project violates the Kihei-Makena Community Plan (KMCP), which the developers refuse to acknowledge and the County of Maui ignores, the project, if built, will deny South Maui the opportunity to become a special beach community with true downtowns as envisioned

Maui Medical Plaza

Medical Plaza at Kanaha: Why building in our wetlands is a bad idea