Category Archives: community

Iao Valley State Monument Reopens

Posted on by

A new reservation system has been implemented at the Maui state park Iao Valley State Monument in an effort to cut down on the number of daily visitors, mostly from out-of-state. The system reduced the number of daily visitors from an average of 1,000 before the reservation system was implemented to a maximum of 600. Improvements to the parking lot and slope stabilization work necessitated the closure from August 2020 to May 2021. The $10 parking fee and $5 entry fee for non-residents will help pay for further monument services and renovations, and additional employees may be hired with the money. After Waianapanapa State Park, Diamond Head State Monument, and Haena State Park, the monument is the fourth state park in Hawaii to demand reservations.

Read the entire article via the Maui News here.

Park Maui Program

Posted on by

Maui’s PARK MAUI program is set to introduce paid parking at popular beaches and small towns to reduce overcrowding and congestion. The Flowbird CWT Touch pay station will be used, and the pilot phase is scheduled to begin this summer at Ulua/Mokapu Beach Park in Wailea, Kamaole Beach Parks in Kihei, and areas of Lahaina and Wailuku town. The proposal includes affordable permits for employees to park in designated off-street parking and free parking for Maui County residents at Maui parks and beaches. Visitors will also have the option to purchase beach parking passes. We will keep you updated as more details are reported.

Kaanapali Beach Restoration

Posted on by

Despite preparations to transport sand from offshore to stop substantial erosion for at least 15 years, the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Board has decided against restoring Kaanapali Beach. The choice was made in response to the famous boardwalk collapsing recently due to strong tides and four decades of ongoing erosion. There are numerous luxury residences erected right next to the beach, and there is no planned remedy for the rapidly eroding shoreline. The DLNR Board is concentrating on protecting public beaches rather than private properties, and the state is instead recommending that those properties start making plans to relocate away from the receding shoreline. The choice was made in response to growing worries about industrial-scale sand mining and potential harm to wildlife and the reef. However, Kaanapali Beach was just recently honored as the only US beach on TripAdvisor’s 2023 Travelers’ Choice Awards.

You can read the entire article here.

Working On High School Opening

Posted on by
The temporary certificate of occupancy for the Kulanihako’i High School in Kihei will be issued by the county, according to Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr., clearing the path for its opening. The mayor asserted that a local high school would benefit South Maui’s students more than sending them elsewhere. He commended the work done by numerous representatives and organizations, including state senator Angus McKelvey and state representative Terez Amato. Paperwork, planning, and permitting challenges have affected the school, and a 2013 LUC requirement that the Department of Education construct a grade-separated crossing such a bridge or underpass prior to the school’s opening has also had an impact. The DOE, the state Department of Transportation, the LUC, and the Governor’s Office for the past two months to iron out the issue.

Read the entire article via the Maui News here.

Dillingham Ranch Sold

Posted on by

Today Howard Dicus announced during his Business Report that the Historic Dillingham Ranch consisting of approximately 2,700 aces of ranch land and 19 acres of oceanfront land has been sold for $36.5M to an undisclosed buyer. It has been stated that the property will continue to be utilized as a working ranch.