Hotel Construction
Tourism on Maui has passed the point where it is serving residents, and is now negatively affecting our quality of life. While visitor arrivals have been breaking records lately, local resident sentiment about the visitor industry has fallen to an all-time low. This is a problem that is continuing to grow, and the first step in solving any problem is to stop making it worse. The proposed visitor accommodations moratorium will pause further development of new hotel, resort, timeshare, short-term rental homes, bed and breakfast homes, and transient vacation rental units. This moratorium will give us time to address the problem. I support this moratorium,
Aloha - My name is Kit and I have lived on Maui since 2002, minus a short hiatus to Oahu. I support the moratorium on new hotel construction and to limit rental cars. Recommend that if a new hotel is built, one be demolished. Can we set a capacity limit on the number of hotel/condo/timeshare rooms. 2020 provided a nice perspective of why we need to balance the tourism industry with Maui residents needs. The construction jobs will continue if we build one/tear one down philosophy.
My name is Richard Moss. I live in Kihei and have for the past 11.5 years. I support the moratorium on the construction any new visitor accommodation facilities in South Maui. We already have too many hotels, condos, time shares, and short-term rentals in South Maui. We do not need more visitors and more traffic. I don't want Maui to become another Oahu.
While I understand that tourism makes up a large portion of the economy here, there comes a point at which it it is too much. We have reached, and possibly surpassed, that point. Excess visitors put a strain on the environment and the local residents’ way of life. The attributes that once made Maui so attractive to visitors are being eroded, and this island will soon be nothing but another Honolulu. This bill also needs to be modified to include ALL of Maui County, not just West and South Maui.
Since 2000, the total number of hotels, and total hotel rooms has decreased on Maui. The large increase in visitors over the last 20 years has come primarily from short term rentals, many of them illegal. As a result, placing a moratorium on hotels will have no affect on the increase in visitors, however it will affect the quality hotels jobs of many Maui residents.
Sadly, the growth focused regime in charge of Maui County continues to
haunt the islands and now prefers to lasso the world rather than the sun.
Sadly it will take more than empty promises or a vaccine to correct i/e the Kai Makani Public Tennis courts that mysteriously disappeared in Kihei.
Please loosen the grip on the world, embrace what we still have, provide more parks and push quality over quantity before it's too late.
I am in SUPPORT of the proposed "MORATORIUM ON BUILDING PERMITS FOR VISITOR ACCOMMODATIONS (IT-54)” which makes much sense. The visitor industry is greatly hurting Not only the residents but the environment of Maui and surrounding islands. Please help shift this!!
Also, I ask that the proposed bill be modified to include all of Maui County, and not just South and West Maui. Mahalo for your time and energy!
I am a resident of Kihei and am being highly impacted by the traffic the increased density of tourists both before covid and now as tourism resumes. I support a moratorium on new projects that will increase tourism. Where did all the talk about limits and balance go. Is it only about the dollars now? Let's take a step back and consider how Maui will grow
Please support bill to stop exponential growth on Maui. It is out of control and our fragile infrastructure cannot handle the emense growth. Roadways are overloaded with traffic and with drivers who do not follow roadways rules or underestimate the dangers of driving at high rates of speed on our rural roads for instance South Kihei Rd where I live there are daily accidents with cars, mopeds, Pedestrians that could easily be avoided.. Pease support this bill to keep Maui Maui not another Oahu.. I was born and raised here and it saddens me to witness how much buildings and housing for part time residents and visitors took over. Taking away Beach access and prime oceanfront natural beauty. Now only hotels and condos on every shoreline. Please stop selling out for money.
I am in support of the Moratorium on tourist accommodations IT-54.
Born and raised in Lahaina, I am turning 50 this year and have seen the changes that rampant uncontrolled tourism brings. It has definitely impacted my life negatively. I no longer enjoy going to the beach or other natural spaces that I used to frequent because it is just too crowded and not enjoyable. The traffic is out of control, we should also be limiting the amount of rental cars so that traffic is not unbearable. The state continues to cater to the tourists and leaves local people with nothing it seems. Do you not want any local people to live here anymore? Because that is what is happening. We also have an influx of foreigners coming in and buying everything in sight, which increases real estate and cost of living. You need to help us local people. We cannot compete with rich people from the mainland.
As of last year and the break we had from tourism, we all realized how out of control it all is and are not happy about it! I am in a quandary because I have such feelings of hate and resentment towards the tourists. I want nothing to do with them anymore and I know I am not the only one. And I have worked in tourism my whole life. I don’t like feeling this way, but I feel our government has basically abandoned the locals for that tourism dollar. It is quite heartbreaking. I live in the same neighborhood most of my life and there are no local people moving in, only newcomers, because locals can’t afford to buy here! It’s ridiculous and some hung needs to change. We need to provide housing for people who actually live and work here, not part timers, not vacation rentals, not second home buyers, and investors. That is who is buying our land and homes. We are crying out for help for how many years now with none coming. It is a sad state of affairs.
I support IT-545. Just because you can do a thing doesnʻt mean you should do that thing. TALK about visitor management and caring for our environment, resources and culture is ONLY TALK when actions contrary to those goals continue to occur. With occupancy at hotels not yet 100% and more discount visitors packing into short-term and transient rentals, it is short-sighted and myopic to continue to allow more construction that greatly impacts our communities in a deleterious way.
This moratorium should extend to ALL parts of Maui County and not just South Maui.
Back in the day, every island – with the exception of O’ahu – harmoniously supported more humans than present day populations. The system native peoples used was built on ethics that reflect the conservation of ecological balance and put utmost importance on the connection between the health of the land, the water and the community. They had no hotels, no cars, no golf courses (an irresponsible/wasteful misuse of precious land and water)...We have a year round growing season and one of the most hospitable climates on Earth - why then do we import foods, live our lives inside climate controlled homes, allow unlimited numbers of vehicles on the roads and place unprecedented value on the dollar? We need to reevaluate, breakdown and majorly restructure the current systems of employment, housing and unsustainable tourism that do not serve our community and damage fragile and irreplaceable environments. The moratorium will allow time for the silver lined opportunity and perspective the pandemic granted to be fully considered so that we can move forward with what is pono in our hearts and minds. Mahalo and Aloha.
I am in support of (IT-54) Moratorium on building additional visitor accommodations. The entire island currently has more available rooms, condos and private dwellings available for our visitors. Adding more buildings, water and sewage use, inadequate roadways, etc. etc. means it's time for Maui to step back and halt further building. It is not in the best interest of the island, the people, the natural open space available to visitors and locals. Stop now and preserve the beauty and unique offerings that Maui gives to its visitors and keep the island livable for locals.
I support the moratorium on building permits for visitor accommodations (IT-54) and urge the jurisdiction of the bill to cover Maui County at large.
The impact of the tourism industry over the course of decades was previously not clear to me, until the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year. With a brief respite from the heavy demands of tourism on our infrastructure, public facilities and county resources at large, I had an opportunity to see a Maui from a different lens, one in which roads were unclogged, beaches and parks were cleaner and less stressful, and I could see more clearly who actually lived on island and was more fully invested in our common future. I have concluded that the actions and policies of the County are critical to finding a more balanced future of tourism and that the needs of the individual voting populace must play a greater role in determining tourism and development policy.
The post-WW2 and post-1980s policy shifts have placed private resource and economic development at the forefront, and at the expense of common public needs too often and a better balance is sorely needed now for sustainable tourism, visitor planning that places Kanaka Maoli and local values and concerns at its core, and limits the carbon footprint per visitor.
To that end, I urge the Council and the Mayor to implement a moratorium on building permits fro vivitor accomodations, to evaluate the rapid expansion of non-hotel temporary visitor housing (timeshares, airbnbs, mobile camping vehicles and other categories) and their negative impact on the County, and to extend the moratorium to the whole of the County. In doing so, I urge the Council to ensure that any moratorium is legally binding throughout all relevant County capacities (e.g., planning etc.).
Finally, I support the moratorium so that any findings that are subsequently discovered about the impact of the moratorium can be incorporated into County larger planning and management tools including but not limited to the County General Plan 2030, Countywide Policy Plan, and Maui Island Plan, and all related rules and amendments.
My great thanks for watching out for the future of my children, children of the island and the culture. My family celebrates Maui's amazing strengths and all comments submitted are in the spirit of perpetuating the life of the community and health of lahui.
Mahalo,
Christina Goodness
Wailuku, Maui
Voter, taxpayer and proud grad of Maui public schools
I support the moratorium on hotel building. We are already over developed. We already have packed roads. We don't have enough water on the dry sides of Maui to support more hotels who waste water on landscaping and pools. We should be focusing our resources on affordable housing for local residence.
I would like IT-54 to include all of Maui County not just South & West Maui.
Hotel Construction
Tourism on Maui has passed the point where it is serving residents, and is now negatively affecting our quality of life. While visitor arrivals have been breaking records lately, local resident sentiment about the visitor industry has fallen to an all-time low. This is a problem that is continuing to grow, and the first step in solving any problem is to stop making it worse. The proposed visitor accommodations moratorium will pause further development of new hotel, resort, timeshare, short-term rental homes, bed and breakfast homes, and transient vacation rental units. This moratorium will give us time to address the problem. I support this moratorium,
Aloha - My name is Kit and I have lived on Maui since 2002, minus a short hiatus to Oahu. I support the moratorium on new hotel construction and to limit rental cars. Recommend that if a new hotel is built, one be demolished. Can we set a capacity limit on the number of hotel/condo/timeshare rooms. 2020 provided a nice perspective of why we need to balance the tourism industry with Maui residents needs. The construction jobs will continue if we build one/tear one down philosophy.
My name is Richard Moss. I live in Kihei and have for the past 11.5 years. I support the moratorium on the construction any new visitor accommodation facilities in South Maui. We already have too many hotels, condos, time shares, and short-term rentals in South Maui. We do not need more visitors and more traffic. I don't want Maui to become another Oahu.
While I understand that tourism makes up a large portion of the economy here, there comes a point at which it it is too much. We have reached, and possibly surpassed, that point. Excess visitors put a strain on the environment and the local residents’ way of life. The attributes that once made Maui so attractive to visitors are being eroded, and this island will soon be nothing but another Honolulu. This bill also needs to be modified to include ALL of Maui County, not just West and South Maui.
Since 2000, the total number of hotels, and total hotel rooms has decreased on Maui. The large increase in visitors over the last 20 years has come primarily from short term rentals, many of them illegal. As a result, placing a moratorium on hotels will have no affect on the increase in visitors, however it will affect the quality hotels jobs of many Maui residents.
Sadly, the growth focused regime in charge of Maui County continues to
haunt the islands and now prefers to lasso the world rather than the sun.
Sadly it will take more than empty promises or a vaccine to correct i/e the Kai Makani Public Tennis courts that mysteriously disappeared in Kihei.
Please loosen the grip on the world, embrace what we still have, provide more parks and push quality over quantity before it's too late.
I am in SUPPORT of the proposed "MORATORIUM ON BUILDING PERMITS FOR VISITOR ACCOMMODATIONS (IT-54)” which makes much sense. The visitor industry is greatly hurting Not only the residents but the environment of Maui and surrounding islands. Please help shift this!!
Also, I ask that the proposed bill be modified to include all of Maui County, and not just South and West Maui. Mahalo for your time and energy!
We need a cap on tourism in Hawai'i for the health of our local communities and ecosystem!
I am a resident of Kihei and am being highly impacted by the traffic the increased density of tourists both before covid and now as tourism resumes. I support a moratorium on new projects that will increase tourism. Where did all the talk about limits and balance go. Is it only about the dollars now? Let's take a step back and consider how Maui will grow
Enough over tourism, quality over quantity.
Please support bill to stop exponential growth on Maui. It is out of control and our fragile infrastructure cannot handle the emense growth. Roadways are overloaded with traffic and with drivers who do not follow roadways rules or underestimate the dangers of driving at high rates of speed on our rural roads for instance South Kihei Rd where I live there are daily accidents with cars, mopeds, Pedestrians that could easily be avoided.. Pease support this bill to keep Maui Maui not another Oahu.. I was born and raised here and it saddens me to witness how much buildings and housing for part time residents and visitors took over. Taking away Beach access and prime oceanfront natural beauty. Now only hotels and condos on every shoreline. Please stop selling out for money.
I am in support of the Moratorium on tourist accommodations IT-54.
Born and raised in Lahaina, I am turning 50 this year and have seen the changes that rampant uncontrolled tourism brings. It has definitely impacted my life negatively. I no longer enjoy going to the beach or other natural spaces that I used to frequent because it is just too crowded and not enjoyable. The traffic is out of control, we should also be limiting the amount of rental cars so that traffic is not unbearable. The state continues to cater to the tourists and leaves local people with nothing it seems. Do you not want any local people to live here anymore? Because that is what is happening. We also have an influx of foreigners coming in and buying everything in sight, which increases real estate and cost of living. You need to help us local people. We cannot compete with rich people from the mainland.
As of last year and the break we had from tourism, we all realized how out of control it all is and are not happy about it! I am in a quandary because I have such feelings of hate and resentment towards the tourists. I want nothing to do with them anymore and I know I am not the only one. And I have worked in tourism my whole life. I don’t like feeling this way, but I feel our government has basically abandoned the locals for that tourism dollar. It is quite heartbreaking. I live in the same neighborhood most of my life and there are no local people moving in, only newcomers, because locals can’t afford to buy here! It’s ridiculous and some hung needs to change. We need to provide housing for people who actually live and work here, not part timers, not vacation rentals, not second home buyers, and investors. That is who is buying our land and homes. We are crying out for help for how many years now with none coming. It is a sad state of affairs.
I support IT-545. Just because you can do a thing doesnʻt mean you should do that thing. TALK about visitor management and caring for our environment, resources and culture is ONLY TALK when actions contrary to those goals continue to occur. With occupancy at hotels not yet 100% and more discount visitors packing into short-term and transient rentals, it is short-sighted and myopic to continue to allow more construction that greatly impacts our communities in a deleterious way.
This moratorium should extend to ALL parts of Maui County and not just South Maui.
Mahalo,
Trinette Furtado
Stop raping Hawaii for money.
Back in the day, every island – with the exception of O’ahu – harmoniously supported more humans than present day populations. The system native peoples used was built on ethics that reflect the conservation of ecological balance and put utmost importance on the connection between the health of the land, the water and the community. They had no hotels, no cars, no golf courses (an irresponsible/wasteful misuse of precious land and water)...We have a year round growing season and one of the most hospitable climates on Earth - why then do we import foods, live our lives inside climate controlled homes, allow unlimited numbers of vehicles on the roads and place unprecedented value on the dollar? We need to reevaluate, breakdown and majorly restructure the current systems of employment, housing and unsustainable tourism that do not serve our community and damage fragile and irreplaceable environments. The moratorium will allow time for the silver lined opportunity and perspective the pandemic granted to be fully considered so that we can move forward with what is pono in our hearts and minds. Mahalo and Aloha.
I am in support of (IT-54) Moratorium on building additional visitor accommodations. The entire island currently has more available rooms, condos and private dwellings available for our visitors. Adding more buildings, water and sewage use, inadequate roadways, etc. etc. means it's time for Maui to step back and halt further building. It is not in the best interest of the island, the people, the natural open space available to visitors and locals. Stop now and preserve the beauty and unique offerings that Maui gives to its visitors and keep the island livable for locals.
Aloha,
I support the moratorium on building permits for visitor accommodations (IT-54) and urge the jurisdiction of the bill to cover Maui County at large.
The impact of the tourism industry over the course of decades was previously not clear to me, until the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year. With a brief respite from the heavy demands of tourism on our infrastructure, public facilities and county resources at large, I had an opportunity to see a Maui from a different lens, one in which roads were unclogged, beaches and parks were cleaner and less stressful, and I could see more clearly who actually lived on island and was more fully invested in our common future. I have concluded that the actions and policies of the County are critical to finding a more balanced future of tourism and that the needs of the individual voting populace must play a greater role in determining tourism and development policy.
The post-WW2 and post-1980s policy shifts have placed private resource and economic development at the forefront, and at the expense of common public needs too often and a better balance is sorely needed now for sustainable tourism, visitor planning that places Kanaka Maoli and local values and concerns at its core, and limits the carbon footprint per visitor.
To that end, I urge the Council and the Mayor to implement a moratorium on building permits fro vivitor accomodations, to evaluate the rapid expansion of non-hotel temporary visitor housing (timeshares, airbnbs, mobile camping vehicles and other categories) and their negative impact on the County, and to extend the moratorium to the whole of the County. In doing so, I urge the Council to ensure that any moratorium is legally binding throughout all relevant County capacities (e.g., planning etc.).
Finally, I support the moratorium so that any findings that are subsequently discovered about the impact of the moratorium can be incorporated into County larger planning and management tools including but not limited to the County General Plan 2030, Countywide Policy Plan, and Maui Island Plan, and all related rules and amendments.
My great thanks for watching out for the future of my children, children of the island and the culture. My family celebrates Maui's amazing strengths and all comments submitted are in the spirit of perpetuating the life of the community and health of lahui.
Mahalo,
Christina Goodness
Wailuku, Maui
Voter, taxpayer and proud grad of Maui public schools
I support the moratorium on hotel building. We are already over developed. We already have packed roads. We don't have enough water on the dry sides of Maui to support more hotels who waste water on landscaping and pools. We should be focusing our resources on affordable housing for local residence.
In support of IT-54