There’s a large project coming to Central Maui that you may be unaware of. The Maui Medical Plaza at Kanaha, a planned six story building with a five story (300+ car parking garage) on the edge of Kanaha wetlands (in a tsunami and sea level rise zone) has somehow managed to stay under much of the community’s radar.
The project’s developers blame the shortage of doctors on Maui on a lack of medical facilities yet medical professionals will tell you that Maui’s low rural rates of Medicare reimbursements and the high cost of malpractice insurance are much more to blame. Hawaii at one time had 59,000 acres of wetlands. Thirty percent of our lowland wetlands have already been lost, an acre at a time, encroaching and filling in the edges of feeding, nesting and breeding areas for the endangered (and federally protected) Hawaiian Stilt and Hawaiian Coot. Due to the continued destruction of many of Hawaii’s wetland areas Kanaha Pond was designated a registered natural landmark in 1971 by the Department of the Interior.
Somehow this project’s final Environmental Assessment was recently accepted by the Maui Planning Commission. Its next and last hurdle comes on Aug. 9th as it applies for a Special Management Area permit.
Although this area was designated in the 1960s as a heavy industrial zone, today we better understand the importance of preserving wetlands and areas of open space. Maui Tomorrow Foundation asks the Maui Planning Commission to respect the 2002 Wailuku Kahului Community Plan which states “Protect shoreline wetland resources and flood plain areas as valuable natural systems and open space resources. These natural systems are important for flood control, as habitat area for wildlife, and for various forms of recreation. Future development actions should emphasize flood prevention and protection of the natural landscape.” The community plan also says that “Drainage channels should not be used for building sites but rather for public open space” and further adds, “Higher building forms up to six stories should be sited in the central portion of commercial blocks.”
If you care about preserving Central Maui’s view plane and wetlands join us in asking that the Maui Planning Commission reconsider the impacts of this project and deny the Special Management Area permit.
Maui Planning Commission Attention: Chair Kent Hiranaga
250 S. High St
Kalana Pakui Bldg Ste 200
Wailuku, HI 96793
planning@mauicounty.gov
