HLU-17 BILL 89 (2026) BILL 89 (2026), BILL 90 (2026), AND BILL 91 (2026), DISTRICT BOUNDARY AMENDMENT, COMMUNITY PLAN AMENDMENT, AND CHANGE IN ZONING FOR A 6.097-ACRE PORTION OF TAX MAP KEY (2) 2-7-007:008, HAMAKUALOA, HAWAI?I (HA?IK? FIRE STATION) (HLU-17)
TESTIMONY IN OPPOSITION TO BILLS 89, 90, AND 91 (2026) AND TO THE CONVERSION OF AGRICULTURAL LANDS TO NON-AGRICULTURAL USES
Aloha Committee Chair and Members of the Maui County Council,
I respectfully submit this testimony in opposition to Bills 89, 90, and 91 (2026) and to any proposal that would convert land designated as Agricultural District into another land use classification without first exhausting all reasonable alternatives on already appropriately designated lands.
While I fully support improving emergency response capabilities and recognize the critical importance of a new Haʻikū Fire Station, the location of essential public facilities should not come at the expense of Hawaii's limited agricultural lands. These bills collectively seek to remove approximately 6.097 acres from the State Agricultural District, redesignate the property in the Community Plan, and rezone the parcel for public use. Taken together, these actions establish another precedent for permanently reducing Maui County's finite agricultural land base.
Agricultural land is among Hawaii's most valuable and irreplaceable resources. As an island community, our long-term resilience depends on protecting lands capable of producing food, supporting local agriculture, preserving open space, and strengthening food security. Once agricultural lands are redesignated and developed, they are almost never returned to productive agricultural use.
Although 6.097 acres may appear relatively small, the cumulative impact of repeated district boundary amendments and zoning changes across the island continues to erode the integrity of our agricultural land inventory. Each individual conversion becomes easier to justify because of previous exceptions, gradually weakening the protections that the Agricultural District was intended to provide.
The County should instead prioritize locating public facilities on lands that are already designated for public, urban, or rural development before seeking conversion of agricultural districts. If no such alternatives exist, the County should clearly demonstrate through a comprehensive public analysis why every feasible non-agricultural site was determined to be unsuitable. Without such findings, converting productive agricultural lands should remain the option of last resort—not the first.
Protecting agricultural land is consistent with numerous long-standing State and County planning objectives, including:
Preserving prime agricultural resources for future generations;
Supporting local food production and reducing dependence on imported food;
Maintaining rural landscapes and open space;
Improving climate resilience and sustainable land management; and
Preventing incremental loss of agricultural acreage through piecemeal rezoning.
These concerns extend beyond Bills 89, 90, and 91. I respectfully urge the Council to adopt a policy of exercising the highest level of scrutiny for any proposal seeking to redesignate or rezone Agricultural District lands, regardless of the proposed use. Public facilities, housing, commercial development, and institutional projects should first be directed toward lands already planned and zoned for those purposes whenever feasible.
The protection of agricultural lands is not an obstacle to community progress, it is an investment in Maui's future. Sound land-use planning requires balancing today's infrastructure needs with tomorrow's food security, environmental stewardship, and rural character. Once agricultural land is lost, it cannot realistically be replaced.
For these reasons, I urge the Council to vote NO on Bills 89, 90, and 91 (2026) and to reaffirm its commitment to preserving Maui County's Agricultural District by limiting conversions to only the most extraordinary circumstances, supported by clear evidence that no reasonable alternative exists.
Furthermore, as Hawai’I is I an unsual form of occupation, I am also concerned that portions of lands in this area have been the subject of longstanding questions and disputes regarding crown land title and historical ownership. Before the County approves any permanent change in land use designation or zoning, all questions regarding ownership, title, and any outstanding legal claims should be fully resolved through the appropriate legal processes.
Proceeding with district boundary amendments, community plan amendments, or zoning changes while unresolved title issues may exist could create unnecessary legal uncertainty and undermine public confidence in the County's land use decision-making process. The County should ensure that any property subject to rezoning is free from unresolved ownership questions and that all affected parties have received appropriate notice and opportunity to participate.
Given the permanent nature of these proposed land use changes, it is prudent to delay approval until any outstanding title concerns have been conclusively addressed.
Mahalo for the opportunity to provide testimony and for your thoughtful consideration of this important matter.
Most Seriously, Faith
The Honorable Nohelani Uʻu-Hodgins, Chair
Housing and Land Use Committee
Council of the County of Maui
200 South High Street
Wailuku, Hawaiʻi 96793
HLU.committee@mauicounty.us
Dear Chair Uʻu-Hodgins:
SUBJECT: HLU-17 — TESTIMONY IN STRONG SUPPORT OF BILL 89 (2026), BILL 90 (2026), AND BILL 91 (2026); DISTRICT BOUNDARY AMENDMENT, COMMUNITY PLAN AMENDMENT, AND CHANGE IN ZONING FOR A 6.097-ACRE PORTION OF TAX MAP KEY (2) 2-7-007:008, HĀMĀKUALOA, HAWAIʻI (HAʻIKŪ FIRE STATION)
My name is Gordon Gillis, and I serve as Chair of the County of Maui Fire and Public Safety Commission. Given the consistent support this Commission has extended to this project over many years, I am confident I speak for my fellow Commissioners in submitting this testimony in strong support of Bill 89 (2026), Bill 90 (2026), and Bill 91 (2026), and of the District Boundary Amendment, Community Plan Amendment, and Change in Zoning necessary to construct the long-awaited Haʻikū Fire Station.
For nearly fifteen years, the Haʻikū community has advocated for a fire station to serve this growing region. During that time, the population has continued to expand, development has increased, traffic congestion has worsened, and the Maui Fire Department has experienced a significant increase in emergency responses. The dedicated firefighters serving the Pāʻia and Haʻikū area continue to provide exceptional service despite covering a large geographic area from distant stations. They have done so with professionalism and commitment, and they have earned this Commission's respect for it. But respect does not shorten a response time. The plain reality is that this community has outgrown its existing emergency response coverage.
The events of the 2023 Lahaina wildfire forever changed the way we must think about emergency preparedness on Maui. That tragedy demonstrated that our island requires additional emergency response infrastructure — not only to improve daily response times, but also to provide the surge capacity necessary when catastrophic incidents occur.
Large-scale emergencies do not respect district boundaries. During major wildfires, hurricanes, flooding events, or other disasters, every available resource is stretched to its limits. Additional fire stations strategically located throughout the island strengthen our ability to protect lives, preserve property, and support neighboring communities at the moment they most need help.
Wildfire is not our only exposure. Maui has experienced increasingly severe weather events over the past several years. Heavy rainfall has resulted in dangerous flooding, landslides, and washed-out roadways. Prolonged drought conditions have elevated wildfire danger across the island. Strong wind events continue to increase the complexity and speed of emergency incidents. These evolving hazards place extraordinary demands on our firefighters and first responders, and they reinforce the need for modern emergency infrastructure that is positioned closer to the communities it serves.
The Commission's support for this project cannot be separated from its support for the department that will operate it. I want to speak plainly about Fire Chief Bradford K. Ventura. Chief Ventura brings to this work a depth of operational judgment and an understanding of Maui's communities that is difficult to overstate. He does not plan for the department we have today; he plans for the department this county will need ten and twenty years from now. The Haʻikū Fire Station is precisely that kind of decision — grounded in call data, in hazard, in growth patterns, and in a clear-eyed reading of where this island is headed. This Commission has watched the Chief and his command staff bring forward hard recommendations and defend them with evidence rather than convenience. The Maui Fire Department has the full confidence of this Commission, and Chief Ventura's judgment on this project deserves the Committee's confidence as well.
This station will significantly improve emergency response capabilities for Haʻikū and surrounding communities while simultaneously strengthening countywide operations. By reducing travel distances for emergency units, the station will improve response times for fires, medical emergencies, rescues, hazardous materials incidents, and natural disasters. Just as importantly, it will increase the overall resilience of Maui County by allowing resources to be deployed more efficiently during major emergencies.
We ask every resident and every visitor of this county to be prepared — to build a plan, to keep supplies on hand, to know their evacuation route, to sign up for alerts. That request carries an obligation on our side of the table. It is not a matter of whether the next emergency comes; it is a matter of when. If we are going to ask the public to be ready, then this county must be ready to answer when they call. Preparedness is not only what we ask of our community. It is what we owe our community.
The requested District Boundary Amendment, Community Plan Amendment, and Change in Zoning are essential steps toward making this long-standing community vision a reality. These approvals will allow Maui County to move forward with a project that has been carefully planned and that directly addresses the public safety needs of today while preparing for the challenges of tomorrow.
As Chair of the Maui County Fire and Public Safety Commission, and mindful of the support this body has extended to this project across many years, I respectfully urge the Committee's approval of Bill 89 (2026), Bill 90 (2026), and Bill 91 (2026), and of the District Boundary Amendment, Community Plan Amendment, and Change in Zoning for the Haʻikū Fire Station. This project has been anticipated by the community for many years, and its importance has never been greater.
Mahalo for your thoughtful consideration and for your commitment to the safety and well-being of the people of Maui County.
Sincerely,
Gordon Gillis, CSP
Chair, Maui County Fire and Public Safety Commission
Professional credentials of the undersigned:
Certified Safety Professional (CSP No. 18752), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
HIOSH-Certified Safety Professional
Serving the people of Maui County since 2007
cc: Mayor Richard T. Bissen, Jr.
Bradford K. Ventura, Fire Chief, Department of Fire and Public Safety
Members, Maui County Fire and Public Safety Commission
TESTIMONY IN OPPOSITION TO BILLS 89, 90, AND 91 (2026) AND TO THE CONVERSION OF AGRICULTURAL LANDS TO NON-AGRICULTURAL USES
Aloha Committee Chair and Members of the Maui County Council,
I respectfully submit this testimony in opposition to Bills 89, 90, and 91 (2026) and to any proposal that would convert land designated as Agricultural District into another land use classification without first exhausting all reasonable alternatives on already appropriately designated lands.
While I fully support improving emergency response capabilities and recognize the critical importance of a new Haʻikū Fire Station, the location of essential public facilities should not come at the expense of Hawaii's limited agricultural lands. These bills collectively seek to remove approximately 6.097 acres from the State Agricultural District, redesignate the property in the Community Plan, and rezone the parcel for public use. Taken together, these actions establish another precedent for permanently reducing Maui County's finite agricultural land base.
Agricultural land is among Hawaii's most valuable and irreplaceable resources. As an island community, our long-term resilience depends on protecting lands capable of producing food, supporting local agriculture, preserving open space, and strengthening food security. Once agricultural lands are redesignated and developed, they are almost never returned to productive agricultural use.
Although 6.097 acres may appear relatively small, the cumulative impact of repeated district boundary amendments and zoning changes across the island continues to erode the integrity of our agricultural land inventory. Each individual conversion becomes easier to justify because of previous exceptions, gradually weakening the protections that the Agricultural District was intended to provide.
The County should instead prioritize locating public facilities on lands that are already designated for public, urban, or rural development before seeking conversion of agricultural districts. If no such alternatives exist, the County should clearly demonstrate through a comprehensive public analysis why every feasible non-agricultural site was determined to be unsuitable. Without such findings, converting productive agricultural lands should remain the option of last resort—not the first.
Protecting agricultural land is consistent with numerous long-standing State and County planning objectives, including:
Preserving prime agricultural resources for future generations;
Supporting local food production and reducing dependence on imported food;
Maintaining rural landscapes and open space;
Improving climate resilience and sustainable land management; and
Preventing incremental loss of agricultural acreage through piecemeal rezoning.
These concerns extend beyond Bills 89, 90, and 91. I respectfully urge the Council to adopt a policy of exercising the highest level of scrutiny for any proposal seeking to redesignate or rezone Agricultural District lands, regardless of the proposed use. Public facilities, housing, commercial development, and institutional projects should first be directed toward lands already planned and zoned for those purposes whenever feasible.
The protection of agricultural lands is not an obstacle to community progress, it is an investment in Maui's future. Sound land-use planning requires balancing today's infrastructure needs with tomorrow's food security, environmental stewardship, and rural character. Once agricultural land is lost, it cannot realistically be replaced.
For these reasons, I urge the Council to vote NO on Bills 89, 90, and 91 (2026) and to reaffirm its commitment to preserving Maui County's Agricultural District by limiting conversions to only the most extraordinary circumstances, supported by clear evidence that no reasonable alternative exists.
Furthermore, as Hawai’I is I an unsual form of occupation, I am also concerned that portions of lands in this area have been the subject of longstanding questions and disputes regarding crown land title and historical ownership. Before the County approves any permanent change in land use designation or zoning, all questions regarding ownership, title, and any outstanding legal claims should be fully resolved through the appropriate legal processes.
Proceeding with district boundary amendments, community plan amendments, or zoning changes while unresolved title issues may exist could create unnecessary legal uncertainty and undermine public confidence in the County's land use decision-making process. The County should ensure that any property subject to rezoning is free from unresolved ownership questions and that all affected parties have received appropriate notice and opportunity to participate.
Given the permanent nature of these proposed land use changes, it is prudent to delay approval until any outstanding title concerns have been conclusively addressed.
Mahalo for the opportunity to provide testimony and for your thoughtful consideration of this important matter.
Most Seriously, Faith
Testimony received from HLU Committee 07/29/2026
COUNTY OF MAUI
FIRE & PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION
200 DAIRY ROAD
KAHULUI, HI 96732
(808) 270-7898
Fax (808) 270-7919
July 28, 2026
The Honorable Nohelani Uʻu-Hodgins, Chair
Housing and Land Use Committee
Council of the County of Maui
200 South High Street
Wailuku, Hawaiʻi 96793
HLU.committee@mauicounty.us
Dear Chair Uʻu-Hodgins:
SUBJECT: HLU-17 — TESTIMONY IN STRONG SUPPORT OF BILL 89 (2026), BILL 90 (2026), AND BILL 91 (2026); DISTRICT BOUNDARY AMENDMENT, COMMUNITY PLAN AMENDMENT, AND CHANGE IN ZONING FOR A 6.097-ACRE PORTION OF TAX MAP KEY (2) 2-7-007:008, HĀMĀKUALOA, HAWAIʻI (HAʻIKŪ FIRE STATION)
My name is Gordon Gillis, and I serve as Chair of the County of Maui Fire and Public Safety Commission. Given the consistent support this Commission has extended to this project over many years, I am confident I speak for my fellow Commissioners in submitting this testimony in strong support of Bill 89 (2026), Bill 90 (2026), and Bill 91 (2026), and of the District Boundary Amendment, Community Plan Amendment, and Change in Zoning necessary to construct the long-awaited Haʻikū Fire Station.
For nearly fifteen years, the Haʻikū community has advocated for a fire station to serve this growing region. During that time, the population has continued to expand, development has increased, traffic congestion has worsened, and the Maui Fire Department has experienced a significant increase in emergency responses. The dedicated firefighters serving the Pāʻia and Haʻikū area continue to provide exceptional service despite covering a large geographic area from distant stations. They have done so with professionalism and commitment, and they have earned this Commission's respect for it. But respect does not shorten a response time. The plain reality is that this community has outgrown its existing emergency response coverage.
The events of the 2023 Lahaina wildfire forever changed the way we must think about emergency preparedness on Maui. That tragedy demonstrated that our island requires additional emergency response infrastructure — not only to improve daily response times, but also to provide the surge capacity necessary when catastrophic incidents occur.
Large-scale emergencies do not respect district boundaries. During major wildfires, hurricanes, flooding events, or other disasters, every available resource is stretched to its limits. Additional fire stations strategically located throughout the island strengthen our ability to protect lives, preserve property, and support neighboring communities at the moment they most need help.
Wildfire is not our only exposure. Maui has experienced increasingly severe weather events over the past several years. Heavy rainfall has resulted in dangerous flooding, landslides, and washed-out roadways. Prolonged drought conditions have elevated wildfire danger across the island. Strong wind events continue to increase the complexity and speed of emergency incidents. These evolving hazards place extraordinary demands on our firefighters and first responders, and they reinforce the need for modern emergency infrastructure that is positioned closer to the communities it serves.
The Commission's support for this project cannot be separated from its support for the department that will operate it. I want to speak plainly about Fire Chief Bradford K. Ventura. Chief Ventura brings to this work a depth of operational judgment and an understanding of Maui's communities that is difficult to overstate. He does not plan for the department we have today; he plans for the department this county will need ten and twenty years from now. The Haʻikū Fire Station is precisely that kind of decision — grounded in call data, in hazard, in growth patterns, and in a clear-eyed reading of where this island is headed. This Commission has watched the Chief and his command staff bring forward hard recommendations and defend them with evidence rather than convenience. The Maui Fire Department has the full confidence of this Commission, and Chief Ventura's judgment on this project deserves the Committee's confidence as well.
This station will significantly improve emergency response capabilities for Haʻikū and surrounding communities while simultaneously strengthening countywide operations. By reducing travel distances for emergency units, the station will improve response times for fires, medical emergencies, rescues, hazardous materials incidents, and natural disasters. Just as importantly, it will increase the overall resilience of Maui County by allowing resources to be deployed more efficiently during major emergencies.
We ask every resident and every visitor of this county to be prepared — to build a plan, to keep supplies on hand, to know their evacuation route, to sign up for alerts. That request carries an obligation on our side of the table. It is not a matter of whether the next emergency comes; it is a matter of when. If we are going to ask the public to be ready, then this county must be ready to answer when they call. Preparedness is not only what we ask of our community. It is what we owe our community.
The requested District Boundary Amendment, Community Plan Amendment, and Change in Zoning are essential steps toward making this long-standing community vision a reality. These approvals will allow Maui County to move forward with a project that has been carefully planned and that directly addresses the public safety needs of today while preparing for the challenges of tomorrow.
As Chair of the Maui County Fire and Public Safety Commission, and mindful of the support this body has extended to this project across many years, I respectfully urge the Committee's approval of Bill 89 (2026), Bill 90 (2026), and Bill 91 (2026), and of the District Boundary Amendment, Community Plan Amendment, and Change in Zoning for the Haʻikū Fire Station. This project has been anticipated by the community for many years, and its importance has never been greater.
Mahalo for your thoughtful consideration and for your commitment to the safety and well-being of the people of Maui County.
Sincerely,
Gordon Gillis, CSP
Chair, Maui County Fire and Public Safety Commission
Professional credentials of the undersigned:
Certified Safety Professional (CSP No. 18752), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
HIOSH-Certified Safety Professional
Serving the people of Maui County since 2007
cc: Mayor Richard T. Bissen, Jr.
Bradford K. Ventura, Fire Chief, Department of Fire and Public Safety
Members, Maui County Fire and Public Safety Commission