WE NEED YOUR HELP!!  

Please testify on November 18th at 9 AM at the planning conference room located in the Kalana Pakui building, 250 S. High st. Wailuku OR email your testimony here: HLU.committee@mauicounty.us

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California developer Sam Hirbod/EC Pāʻia is trying to fast-track a 170-unit housing and commercial project under the guise of affordable housing. But the numbers tell a different story. Only 34 units would be low-income rentals and none for sale. 80% of the single-family homes will be market rate and priced around $1.6 million, with an additional 18 “gentlemen estates”  planned for the adjoining 245 acres. That isn't housing for local families. It's a luxury development using "affordable" as a shortcut around the reviews every project of this size should face.

The project would increase Lower Pāʻiaʻs population by at least 20%, yet lacks an emergency evacuation study, social impact assessments, needs assessment, and Environmental Assessments. Critically, the developer has no clear answer for where the water for 170 new homes or commercial space will come from, in a place where water is already scarce and every drop matters. The project is also not able to connect to County Sewer until at least 2030, requiring onsite wastewater disposal in an area that is directly upstream from the ocean. 

Furthermore, development in Pāʻia should be driven by community needs. And while the developer has hosted 1-on-1 meetings with select community members, the community has largely been left out of the conversation. The lack of community input is evident in EC Pāʻiaʻs plans, which do not include any parks, playgrounds, playing fields, or other community-centered services like a library or community gardens (except for a parking lot at the furthest end of Pāʻia Town). It will also extend commercial zoning through residential areas up Baldwin Avenue and will increase traffic on Baldwin significantly. 

This is not a community-driven project. It is developer-driven to maximize profits and minimize oversight. 

Because the EC Pāʻia project will add, at a minimum, 500-1000 additional residents (20% population increase) between Hana Highway and Baldwin Ave in Lower Pāʻia, in addition to medical facilities and commercial buildings. The below conditions take into account significant community concerns regarding public safety, environmental impacts, social/community impacts, and the lack of public input that has informed the project thus far. 

Furthermore, While Council initiated CPA/CIZ may be appropriate for certain small-scale projects, the proposed EC Pāʻia Project is significant in both its scope and scale. It also includes on-site wastewater disposal, wells for drinking water, modifications of both county and state roadways, and building within the SMA Zone, tsunami zone, and extreme tsunami zone. Environmental Assessment should be completed prior to any additional action by the Council. 

Before Zoning Changes and Community Plan Amendments are Adopted, the following conditions must be satisfied:

- Funding & Infrastructure in place for a Pāʻia Relief Route via Sunnyside Road (or an alternate route that is above Lower Pāʻia)
- Pāʻia-Haʻikū Community Plan must complete its next scheduled decennial  update (estimated 2028-2029)
- A Needs Assessment that includes population and job growth projections specifically for Pāʻia Area
- A Social Impact Assessment (SIA) that includes community polling and input as well as the developer demonstrating how it would specifically mitigate/address community concerns that have been raised
- Included in a SIA would be community input meeting and with design charrette with full map diagrams
- Environmental Assessment prior to any additional decision making by the Maui County Council
- At least 50% of the proposed single-family homes reserved for 80%-120% AMI with owner-occupancy requirements and deed restrictions
- Detailed traffic studies completed at peak traffic season (winter months) and when local schools are in session. This should also include details about emergency evacuation routes.
- Detailed water and waste water studies that identify water sources, and potential environmental impacts.
- Dedicated park and open space along Baldwin Avenue to provide buffer between proposed commercial areas and current residential areas
- Developer should provide detailed notes of all community meetings and comments prior to May 2026 (when the project was first introduced to the Maui County Council) and post-June 2026, and clarify how community comments are being addressed. 

Remote testimony:http://tinyurl.com/HLU-Committee  

Please SIGN and TESTIFY!! 

Sign this petition to urge the Maui County Council and Housing & Land Use Committee and other decision makers to require a full Environmental Assessment, social impact assessment, emergency evacuation assessment, robust traffic study, and a confirmed water source before EC Pāʻia moves forward.