Public and private sectors need to work together to provide homes for Maui’s people.I attended the Thursday, June 19, General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) public meeting to see how this group intends to direct our future, and have been encouraged by a member of the County Council and a GPAC member to “share my manao.”
I have no wish for Maui to look like O‘ahu, nor the “Chicken Little” group to impose “The Sky is Falling” xenophobia on our ability to develop water, infrastructure, and housing for Maui’s people, or by telling us where we’re allowed to live.
One “fear” being waved around is “loopholes,” as in, “If we allow good projects, bad guys might find a loophole to build bad projects.” Therefore, they throw the baby out with the bath water through decades of stalling and expensive indecision.
Another “fear” is “water,” as in, “Where will the water come from?” I ask you, has there ever been a well drilled on Maui that came up dry? Does “all the water belongs to the people” mean no one has water rights on their land? The water is there, but the county won’t drill wells to source the “people’s water” for the 1,200 residents on the water meter waiting list. This is population control through water control, and it diminishes the lives and fortunes of many Maui families.
Clayton Nishikawa wants to build affordable workforce housing and a Hale Mahaolu community (Kula Ridge, Kula Ridge Mauka and Kula Meadowood) in Kula, a total of 397 units. His $3 million well will provide approximately 1 million gallons per day, 200,000 of which would be used by his projects. The balance would be available for people on the water meter waiting list. Some say he is “jumping ahead” of people on the waiting list, while in fact, the well for Kula Ridge and Kula Meadowood would provide water for hundreds of other people on the waiting list.
Another “fear” is “infrastructure,” as in, “New houses will clog our streets,” therefore expecting the project to pay for all infrastructure used by everyone in the community. If this cost were included in the houses, they would no longer be affordable. Furthermore, seeing “market priced” houses included in such a project as a negative is naive, as they pay for the affordable houses which cost shares are more than the price.
The “government” doesn’t want to build affordable/workforce /senior housing, deferring to the “private sector.” However, when the private sector steps up to the plate, the government throws them curve balls. Public and private sectors need to work together to provide homes for Maui’s people where people want to live. Preserving ag land doesn’t require disallowing attractive neighborhoods on select ag land. We need homes for people as well as homes for plants and animals. Having to ship our families out to find homes is no more attractive than having to ship in our food. Let’s work together for a win-win here. It’s pono.