Chair and Members of DRIP:
After reading today's testimony, my question about Bill 108 is even simpler.
Several people support allowing Kīhei Mauka to develop in phases, with infrastructure provided before or concurrently with each phase.
That may make sense.
But before you can decide what infrastructure a phase needs, don't you first have to know what capacity South Maui has today?
How much water capacity is left?
How much wastewater capacity is left?
What can the roads actually handle?
What about drainage, fire protection and evacuation?
How much existing capacity has already been committed to development that has been approved but not built?
Without those numbers, what does “before or concurrently with each phase” actually mean?
The same issue appears in Wailea. Today's testimony discusses additional future development while acknowledging that traffic, water, infrastructure and cumulative impacts will have to be addressed later.
Why later?
Bill 108 is the twenty-year plan. This is when you should establish the baseline.
I am not saying all infrastructure for a 583-acre area has to be built before the first house.
I am saying the County should know the capacity of its systems before deciding how much additional demand those systems can take.
Establish the baseline. Account for what is already committed. Determine what remains. Then require each phase of development to provide the infrastructure necessary to keep those systems within adopted standards.
Otherwise “before or concurrently with development” sounds good, but nobody can tell the public what it actually requires.
You cannot responsibly phase infrastructure if you do not know where you are starting.
Edward Codelia
Maui Resident
Chair Paltin and Members
Disaster Recovery, International Affairs, and Planning Committee (DRIP)
Maui County Council
200 S. High Street
Wailuku, Hawaiʻi 96793
Re: Bill 108 (2026) - Wailea Golf / WCA Revised Plan
Aloha Chair Paltin and Members of the Committee,
My name is Gail Silva, and I work in Wailea. I am submitting testimony regarding the Wailea
Golf proposal in the South Maui Community Plan.
I support the Wailea Community Association's revised plan. The revised version keeps two full
championship golf courses and the racket-sports area, restores several proposed development
areas to park/golf use, and still provides space for future housing and other development.
The WCA has made clear that it does not support the broader Wailea Golf proposal currently in
the draft and that Wailea Golf has not signed the MOU for the negotiated revised plan. From my
perspective as someone who works in Wailea, the Committee should give careful consideration
to the plan that came out of the WCA working-group process and the community meetings.
I ask the Committee to use the revised WCA plan as the reference point when it reaches the
Wailea land-use map and narrative.
Mahalo for the opportunity to testify.
Gail Silva
Wailea Employee
Re: Bill 108 (2026) - Kīhei Mauka Transportation and Watershed Phasing
Aloha Chair Paltin and Members of the Committee,
My name is Jason Boteilho. I am submitting testimony regarding the Kīhei Mauka growth-area
policies.
I support requiring real transportation and stormwater improvements as development occurs. I
also support having those requirements tied to each phase rather than requiring the full
583-acre infrastructure system to be completed before any housing is built.
For the mauka road, the proposed phased language would require transportation improvements
before or concurrently with each phase, including a connection toward Veterans Highway, with
the specific improvements informed by State DOT review. The same principle applies to
watershed management: each phase should have the system needed to address its stormwater
impacts before that phase moves forward.
That is a practical way to make sure development and infrastructure advance together.
Mahalo for considering my testimony.
Jason Boteilho
Aloha Chair Paltin and Members of the Committee,
My name is Nadia Prones. I am writing in support of a phased approach to Kīhei Mauka's
infrastructure requirements.
The area is expected to be developed over time, and I believe the road, drainage, and
watershed improvements should be required in the same way: phase by phase, before or
concurrently with the development that creates the need for them.
This approach does not remove the infrastructure obligations. It keeps them tied to each stage
of construction and allows traffic and engineering review to identify the improvements
necessary for that stage. Requiring the entire collector road and the entire watershed system
up front would treat a phased project as though it were being built all at once.
I respectfully ask the Committee to retain the phased language in Policies 3.5.3 and 3.5.5.
Mahalo.
Nadia Prones
Chair Paltin and Members
Disaster Recovery, International Affairs, and Planning Committee (DRIP)
Maui County Council
200 S. High Street
Wailuku, Hawaiʻi 96793
Re: Bill 108 (2026) - Wailea Golf / WCA Revised Plan
Aloha Chair Paltin and Members of the Committee,
My name is Christine Camanse. I am submitting testimony regarding the Wailea Golf portion of
Bill 108.
I support the revised plan that resulted from the Wailea Community Association working-group
process and do not support advancing the broader Wailea Golf plan currently before the
Committee.
The revised version removes the two development areas on the Blue Course that generated
community concern, keeps two full championship courses and the racket-sports area, and still
leaves a substantial area for future housing, neighborhood-serving uses, and other
development.
The WCA has stated that Wailea Golf has not signed the MOU and that WCA therefore continues
to oppose the current Wailea Golf proposal. I ask the Committee to consider the revised WCA
plan as the community-supported alternative when it reviews the Wailea maps.
Mahalo for your consideration.
Christine Camanse
Chair Paltin and Members
Disaster Recovery, International Affairs, and Planning Committee (DRIP)
Maui County Council
200 S. High Street
Wailuku, Hawaiʻi 96793
Re: Bill 108 (2026) - Kīhei Mauka and Wailea Planning Issues
Aloha Chair Paltin and Members of the Committee,
My name is C. Kahealani Silva. I am submitting comments on two South Maui Community Plan
issues currently before the Committee.
For Kīhei Mauka, I support requiring the watershed management and transportation
improvements to be implemented with each phase of development. The infrastructure should
keep pace with housing, but requiring the entire road connection and full-area stormwater
system before the first phase can move forward could prevent both the housing and the
infrastructure from advancing as planned.
For Wailea Golf, I support the revised plan developed through the Wailea Community
Association working-group process rather than the broader Wailea Golf proposal currently
reflected in the draft. The WCA revised plan preserves more of the Blue Course and open space
while still allowing future development, including workforce housing.
I ask the Committee to keep these distinctions clear as it reviews the remaining growth-area
policies and maps.
Mahalo for the opportunity to testify.
Kahealani Silva
Re: Bill 108 (2026) - Wailea Golf Community Plan
Aloha Chair Paltin and Members of the Committee,
My name is Cedric Cabero. I am submitting testimony regarding the Wailea Golf land-use
proposal in the South Maui Community Plan.
I support consideration of the revised plan developed through the Wailea Community
Association working group and Wailea Golf discussions, rather than advancing the broader
proposal now shown in the draft.
The revised plan keeps two championship golf courses, restores proposed development areas
on the Blue Course to park/golf use, keeps the racket-sports area, and still provides areas for
future housing and mixed-use development. It reflects a compromise that was presented to
Wailea community members and received broad support from the WCA process.
Because the WCA has stated that it continues to oppose the current Wailea Golf proposal, I ask
the Committee to clearly distinguish between the two versions when it reaches Section 3 and
the Wailea growth maps.
Mahalo for your consideration.
Cedric Cabero
Aloha Chair Paltin and Members of the Committee,
My name is Nya Camanse. I am submitting testimony on Kīhei Mauka and the timing of the
infrastructure required for the growth area.
I support a plan where housing and infrastructure are built together in phases. The
comprehensive watershed system and the transportation improvements should not be optional,
but they also should not have to be completed for the entire growth area before the first phase
of homes can move forward.
Requiring improvements prior to or concurrently with each phase creates a clear connection
between new development and the infrastructure needed to support it. It also reflects the way
a large master-planned area is actually built over time.
I ask the Committee to retain the phased approach in Policies 3.5.3 and 3.5.5 rather than
replacing it with an all-at-once requirement.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
Nya Camanse
Lacie Cabrido - Testimony
I travel to Kihei every week to care for my mother-in-law and bring her things she needs.
Because I also have an 11-year-old in school and after-school activities in Wailuku, traffic
delays can make it difficult to balance both responsibilities.
When Pi'ilani Highway and the lower road are backed up, what should be a simple
caregiving trip can turn into hours of added stress and lost family time. Reliable
transportation and better traffic flow matter to families like mine because we are trying to
care for loved ones, support our children, and keep up with everyday responsibilities
across different parts of Maui.
Aloha Chair Paltin and Members of the Committee,
My name is Tim Gallegos, and I live in Kīhei. I am writing about the proposed infrastructure
requirements for Kīhei Mauka.
The concern about roads, drainage, and stormwater is understandable. Those improvements
need to be part of the project. The question is when they should be built. I support requiring the
needed transportation and watershed improvements before or concurrently with each phase of
development, rather than requiring every major improvement across the full approximately
583-acre area before any housing can be built.
The project is expected to develop in phases, and the infrastructure requirements should follow
that same structure. Detailed traffic review during future land-use approvals can determine
what improvements are needed at each stage, including the mauka connection toward
Veterans Highway.
I ask the Committee to keep the phased language for the mauka road and watershed
management policies.
Mahalo for considering my testimony.
Tim Gallegos
Kīhei Resident
comprises my extended testimony regarding the South Maui Community Plan for the Maui County Council DRIP Committee Hearing on September 28, 2026, focusing on the failures and folly in South Maui regarding major gaps in wastewater treatment and disposal permitting and practices, with a core concern of major shortcomings in effluent disinfection treatment and pathogen monitoring connected to all 30+ nearshore injection wells in South Maui discharging into the Pacific Ocean via groundwater systems, directly into marine ecosystems that in some places DLNR-DAR describes as “total system collapse” while DOH has separately detected exceedances of the “Beach Action Value” for Fecal Indicator Bacteria (FIB) inside injection well plumes.
We need a *solid* plan to fund essential upgrades designed to eliminate the transfer of harmful pathogens to marine recreation areas and ecosystems in any South maui Community Plan that seeks to properly protect citizens, visitors and marine life from avoidable risk of infections disease and secondary effects such as cancer. Correction: the 2025 contract referenced was for the U.S. EPA (not DOH).
The USGS Kihei WWRF injection well plume paper referenced as “Hunt 2007” is attached and can be found at:
tinyurl.com/Hunt-2007
DEM Project CBS-5031 to realize 100% reef-safe UV (ultraviolet) wastewater effluent disinfection capacity at the Kīhei Wastewater Reclamation Facility is attached, along with CBS-1169 for work to realize the same capacity at the Kahului-Wailuku Wastewater Reclamation Facility discharging into nearshore waters on Maui’s beloved North Shore.
Pardon the wind sounds, wild hair, and teething pup!
Mahalo nui loa,
Travis A. Liggett, MS
+1 (808) 291-9934
Travis.Liggett@gmail.com
P. S. Anyone wishing to donate to eliminate the pathogen discharges described at Maui’s two municipal plants mentioned may do so here: kaiaction.org/donate for 0% overhead transfer directly to the County of Maui via Memorandum of Agreement, to complete this critical human and ecosystem health and safety work without further funding-related delay.
My name is Steve Bichich and I am a member of the Board of Director for the Keala O’ Wailea condo complex in Wailea. I am writing on the behalf of owners at Keala O Wailea regarding the Wailea Golf provisions in the proposed South Maui Community Plan. We are in support of the revised Wailea Golf plan submitted to this committee by the Wailea Community Association (WCA) on Monday September 21, 2026.
We are very concerned that the materials presently before the Committee appear to include an earlier owner-proposed Wailea Golf plan rather than the revised plan which was developed through the hard work of both WCA and its working group and Wailea Golf. A revised plan that is supported by a strong consensus of the WCA member community.
Under the revised plan, the Blue Course and the Gold Course would remain as they presently exist, and redevelopment or reconfiguration could occur with respect to the Emerald Course.
Just to be clear, Keala O Wailea remains opposed to any plan that would alter the Blue Course or permit residential development on it.
We are not suggesting that all future development in Wailea should be prohibited. To the contrary, the revised plan reflects an accommodation of both development and community wide interests. It would be a shame to ignore the strong support within the Wailea community for this revised plan.
Separately, any significant additional development in Wailea will necessarily require consideration of broader issues including traffic, water, infrastructure, public resources and cumulative impacts. Those matters will also need to be addressed as the planning and entitlement processes proceed. At this stage, however, our immediate request is simply that the Committee not advance the earlier Wailea Golf proposal within the South Maui Community Plan but replace it with the revised plan submitted to you by the WCA
My name is Barbara Kenrich and as a 20 year homeowner and full time resident I strongly urge the Council to adopt the new Amended or Revised Plan for South Maui which keeps 2 of the 3 Golf Courses ( Blue and Gold) and allows for development of the Emerald Course. The current plan submitted by Wailea Golf will create additional traffic on an already congested entry/exit to Wailea which is gridlocked during shift changes at the hotels making emergency evacuations next to impossible. The new plan allows for contained growth and has been approved by WCA and the homeowners in the area. The Open Space the Golf Courses provide are a big draw for conferences and tourists to Maui and these folks stay at nearby accommodations and visit the local restaurants who employ our workers.
For the Record – Opposition to the Wailea Golf LLC Proposal
As homeowners in Wailea, we respectfully submit our opposition to the proposal by Wailea Golf LLC that would allow development of existing golf course land.
Our connection to Maui spans more than 35 years. Long before becoming homeowners at Keala O Wailea, we traveled regularly to Maui and watched Wailea grow into the exceptional resort and residential community it is today. As Wailea property owners who contribute substantial taxes, we believe decisions concerning the future of this community should carefully consider not only additional development, but also the long-term value of preserving the open spaces, recreational amenities, views, and character that have made Wailea so desirable.
The three Wailea golf courses have been an important part of that character. They provide far more than recreational opportunities for golfers. The courses create significant open space, contribute to the resort atmosphere, support golf-related tourism and events, and provide the expansive views and low-density environment that attracted many existing homeowners to purchase property in Wailea.
We are particularly opposed to development of the Wailea Blue Course. We strongly encourage the County and Wailea Golf LLC to preserve the Blue Course in its current use rather than convert this land to additional development. If declining utilization is part of the justification for redevelopment, we believe alternatives should first be explored—including more affordable tee times, meaningful daily kamaʻāina rates, and other programs designed to increase participation by Maui residents and visitors.
The County should also carefully evaluate the cumulative effect that the loss of golf courses and open space could have on Wailea's tourism economy. In recent years, we have repeatedly heard from friends and longtime Maui visitors from the mainland who believe the overall cost of a Maui vacation has become increasingly difficult to justify compared with other destinations, including other Hawaiian islands. Some have told us they no longer plan to return.
For that reason, we believe any decision that permanently removes an established visitor amenity deserves particularly careful economic analysis. Wailea's three courses together provide something that one course—or even two—cannot necessarily replicate: greater tee-time availability, variety of play, the ability to accommodate golf groups and events, and another reason for golf-oriented travelers to choose Wailea for an extended stay.
Tourism remains an important part of Maui's economy and supports the livelihoods of many Maui families. Before approving development that permanently eliminates an existing golf course, we respectfully ask the County to examine current Wailea tourism trends and determine what effect the loss of golf capacity, recreational open space, and resort amenities could have on visitor demand, employment, and the businesses that depend upon tourism.
There is also an equally important issue for existing homeowners. Many families purchased homes and condominiums bordering these courses with the reasonable expectation that the golf-course setting, open space, views, privacy, and relatively low-density surroundings were fundamental characteristics of their properties and neighborhoods. Replacing those open spaces with additional development could substantially alter that environment. The interests of those existing property owners deserve serious consideration before an irreversible land-use change is approved.
We recognize the need for Maui to address housing affordability and the extraordinarily high cost of living for local residents. Those are critical issues. However, converting established resort golf-course and open-space land to additional development should not automatically be viewed as the solution, particularly without a thorough assessment of the long-term economic, environmental, infrastructure, community, and tourism consequences.
Our strongest request is that the Wailea Blue Course remain a golf course and that its open space be preserved. More broadly, we urge the County to protect Wailea's existing golf courses to the greatest extent possible and to carefully consider what would be permanently lost before allowing this land to be converted to development.
Once open space of this magnitude is developed, it cannot realistically be restored.
Wailea's future should not be evaluated solely by how much additional development its remaining land can accommodate. It should also be measured by how successfully we preserve the qualities that have made people want to visit, invest in, live in, and return to Wailea for generations.
We respectfully ask the County of Maui to throughly consider the long-term interests of Maui residents, existing homeowners, visitors, local businesses, and future generations before approving any proposal that would permanently eliminate one or more of Wailea's golf courses and its associated open space. Thank you. Cindy and Michael Liebsch
Further to the Wailea Blue Golf Course development my wife Darlene and I would like to record that we are strongly against the proposal put forward by the Wailea Golf LLC. The Wailea Golf proposal would do nothing but eliminate the the character and careful development of the Wailea community. As well, long term there would probably be no public golf courses in South Maui - wouldn't it be a shame to go from 5 (3 Wailea and 2 Makena) public golf courses to 0. I don't think this is what Maui wants!
We have studied the revised plan put forward by the Wailea Community Association and support the proposal largely because the plan is a result of consultation with all of the stakeholders and addresses the inevitable development of Maui. It does not just address one family trying to maximize their return on their real estate investment. The WCA plan is an excellent compromise which recognizes the need for inevitable future development but showing respect for those of us that are owners/residents in the Wailea community.
You are no doubt aware of the well documented DRIP concerns which are most valid considering today's environment and we won't comment on these valid points
Darlene and I request the committee not consider the proposal put forth by Wailea Golf and strongly support the community based compromise put forth by the Wailea Community Association. Thank you for your consideration. Graham & Darlene Cameron
Regarding the Wailea Blue Course development, it is my understanding there has been a compromise which leaves the Blue Course in tact. Please utilize this community/owner agreement as it helps maintain the integrity of Wailea while also enriching development the area. As an owner at Keala O Wailea we are deeply interested in maintaining the Blue Course.
I request the committee not advance the earlier Wailea Golf proposal until the discrepancy between that proposal and the later community compromise has been clarified and resolved. It is encouraging that both the community and the owner have come to acceptable agreement, and I ask that that agreement be utilized. Thank you.
Chair and Members of DRIP:
After reading today's testimony, my question about Bill 108 is even simpler.
Several people support allowing Kīhei Mauka to develop in phases, with infrastructure provided before or concurrently with each phase.
That may make sense.
But before you can decide what infrastructure a phase needs, don't you first have to know what capacity South Maui has today?
How much water capacity is left?
How much wastewater capacity is left?
What can the roads actually handle?
What about drainage, fire protection and evacuation?
How much existing capacity has already been committed to development that has been approved but not built?
Without those numbers, what does “before or concurrently with each phase” actually mean?
The same issue appears in Wailea. Today's testimony discusses additional future development while acknowledging that traffic, water, infrastructure and cumulative impacts will have to be addressed later.
Why later?
Bill 108 is the twenty-year plan. This is when you should establish the baseline.
I am not saying all infrastructure for a 583-acre area has to be built before the first house.
I am saying the County should know the capacity of its systems before deciding how much additional demand those systems can take.
Establish the baseline. Account for what is already committed. Determine what remains. Then require each phase of development to provide the infrastructure necessary to keep those systems within adopted standards.
Otherwise “before or concurrently with development” sounds good, but nobody can tell the public what it actually requires.
You cannot responsibly phase infrastructure if you do not know where you are starting.
Edward Codelia
Maui Resident
Chair Paltin and Members
Disaster Recovery, International Affairs, and Planning Committee (DRIP)
Maui County Council
200 S. High Street
Wailuku, Hawaiʻi 96793
Re: Bill 108 (2026) - Wailea Golf / WCA Revised Plan
Aloha Chair Paltin and Members of the Committee,
My name is Gail Silva, and I work in Wailea. I am submitting testimony regarding the Wailea
Golf proposal in the South Maui Community Plan.
I support the Wailea Community Association's revised plan. The revised version keeps two full
championship golf courses and the racket-sports area, restores several proposed development
areas to park/golf use, and still provides space for future housing and other development.
The WCA has made clear that it does not support the broader Wailea Golf proposal currently in
the draft and that Wailea Golf has not signed the MOU for the negotiated revised plan. From my
perspective as someone who works in Wailea, the Committee should give careful consideration
to the plan that came out of the WCA working-group process and the community meetings.
I ask the Committee to use the revised WCA plan as the reference point when it reaches the
Wailea land-use map and narrative.
Mahalo for the opportunity to testify.
Gail Silva
Wailea Employee
Re: Bill 108 (2026) - Kīhei Mauka Transportation and Watershed Phasing
Aloha Chair Paltin and Members of the Committee,
My name is Jason Boteilho. I am submitting testimony regarding the Kīhei Mauka growth-area
policies.
I support requiring real transportation and stormwater improvements as development occurs. I
also support having those requirements tied to each phase rather than requiring the full
583-acre infrastructure system to be completed before any housing is built.
For the mauka road, the proposed phased language would require transportation improvements
before or concurrently with each phase, including a connection toward Veterans Highway, with
the specific improvements informed by State DOT review. The same principle applies to
watershed management: each phase should have the system needed to address its stormwater
impacts before that phase moves forward.
That is a practical way to make sure development and infrastructure advance together.
Mahalo for considering my testimony.
Jason Boteilho
Aloha Chair Paltin and Members of the Committee,
My name is Nadia Prones. I am writing in support of a phased approach to Kīhei Mauka's
infrastructure requirements.
The area is expected to be developed over time, and I believe the road, drainage, and
watershed improvements should be required in the same way: phase by phase, before or
concurrently with the development that creates the need for them.
This approach does not remove the infrastructure obligations. It keeps them tied to each stage
of construction and allows traffic and engineering review to identify the improvements
necessary for that stage. Requiring the entire collector road and the entire watershed system
up front would treat a phased project as though it were being built all at once.
I respectfully ask the Committee to retain the phased language in Policies 3.5.3 and 3.5.5.
Mahalo.
Nadia Prones
Chair Paltin and Members
Disaster Recovery, International Affairs, and Planning Committee (DRIP)
Maui County Council
200 S. High Street
Wailuku, Hawaiʻi 96793
Re: Bill 108 (2026) - Wailea Golf / WCA Revised Plan
Aloha Chair Paltin and Members of the Committee,
My name is Christine Camanse. I am submitting testimony regarding the Wailea Golf portion of
Bill 108.
I support the revised plan that resulted from the Wailea Community Association working-group
process and do not support advancing the broader Wailea Golf plan currently before the
Committee.
The revised version removes the two development areas on the Blue Course that generated
community concern, keeps two full championship courses and the racket-sports area, and still
leaves a substantial area for future housing, neighborhood-serving uses, and other
development.
The WCA has stated that Wailea Golf has not signed the MOU and that WCA therefore continues
to oppose the current Wailea Golf proposal. I ask the Committee to consider the revised WCA
plan as the community-supported alternative when it reviews the Wailea maps.
Mahalo for your consideration.
Christine Camanse
Chair Paltin and Members
Disaster Recovery, International Affairs, and Planning Committee (DRIP)
Maui County Council
200 S. High Street
Wailuku, Hawaiʻi 96793
Re: Bill 108 (2026) - Kīhei Mauka and Wailea Planning Issues
Aloha Chair Paltin and Members of the Committee,
My name is C. Kahealani Silva. I am submitting comments on two South Maui Community Plan
issues currently before the Committee.
For Kīhei Mauka, I support requiring the watershed management and transportation
improvements to be implemented with each phase of development. The infrastructure should
keep pace with housing, but requiring the entire road connection and full-area stormwater
system before the first phase can move forward could prevent both the housing and the
infrastructure from advancing as planned.
For Wailea Golf, I support the revised plan developed through the Wailea Community
Association working-group process rather than the broader Wailea Golf proposal currently
reflected in the draft. The WCA revised plan preserves more of the Blue Course and open space
while still allowing future development, including workforce housing.
I ask the Committee to keep these distinctions clear as it reviews the remaining growth-area
policies and maps.
Mahalo for the opportunity to testify.
Kahealani Silva
Re: Bill 108 (2026) - Wailea Golf Community Plan
Aloha Chair Paltin and Members of the Committee,
My name is Cedric Cabero. I am submitting testimony regarding the Wailea Golf land-use
proposal in the South Maui Community Plan.
I support consideration of the revised plan developed through the Wailea Community
Association working group and Wailea Golf discussions, rather than advancing the broader
proposal now shown in the draft.
The revised plan keeps two championship golf courses, restores proposed development areas
on the Blue Course to park/golf use, keeps the racket-sports area, and still provides areas for
future housing and mixed-use development. It reflects a compromise that was presented to
Wailea community members and received broad support from the WCA process.
Because the WCA has stated that it continues to oppose the current Wailea Golf proposal, I ask
the Committee to clearly distinguish between the two versions when it reaches Section 3 and
the Wailea growth maps.
Mahalo for your consideration.
Cedric Cabero
Aloha Chair Paltin and Members of the Committee,
My name is Nya Camanse. I am submitting testimony on Kīhei Mauka and the timing of the
infrastructure required for the growth area.
I support a plan where housing and infrastructure are built together in phases. The
comprehensive watershed system and the transportation improvements should not be optional,
but they also should not have to be completed for the entire growth area before the first phase
of homes can move forward.
Requiring improvements prior to or concurrently with each phase creates a clear connection
between new development and the infrastructure needed to support it. It also reflects the way
a large master-planned area is actually built over time.
I ask the Committee to retain the phased approach in Policies 3.5.3 and 3.5.5 rather than
replacing it with an all-at-once requirement.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
Nya Camanse
Lacie Cabrido - Testimony
I travel to Kihei every week to care for my mother-in-law and bring her things she needs.
Because I also have an 11-year-old in school and after-school activities in Wailuku, traffic
delays can make it difficult to balance both responsibilities.
When Pi'ilani Highway and the lower road are backed up, what should be a simple
caregiving trip can turn into hours of added stress and lost family time. Reliable
transportation and better traffic flow matter to families like mine because we are trying to
care for loved ones, support our children, and keep up with everyday responsibilities
across different parts of Maui.
Aloha Chair Paltin and Members of the Committee,
My name is Tim Gallegos, and I live in Kīhei. I am writing about the proposed infrastructure
requirements for Kīhei Mauka.
The concern about roads, drainage, and stormwater is understandable. Those improvements
need to be part of the project. The question is when they should be built. I support requiring the
needed transportation and watershed improvements before or concurrently with each phase of
development, rather than requiring every major improvement across the full approximately
583-acre area before any housing can be built.
The project is expected to develop in phases, and the infrastructure requirements should follow
that same structure. Detailed traffic review during future land-use approvals can determine
what improvements are needed at each stage, including the mauka connection toward
Veterans Highway.
I ask the Committee to keep the phased language for the mauka road and watershed
management policies.
Mahalo for considering my testimony.
Tim Gallegos
Kīhei Resident
Aloha Chair and DRIP Committee Members,
This video:
youtu.be/TJ9itqj7e70
comprises my extended testimony regarding the South Maui Community Plan for the Maui County Council DRIP Committee Hearing on September 28, 2026, focusing on the failures and folly in South Maui regarding major gaps in wastewater treatment and disposal permitting and practices, with a core concern of major shortcomings in effluent disinfection treatment and pathogen monitoring connected to all 30+ nearshore injection wells in South Maui discharging into the Pacific Ocean via groundwater systems, directly into marine ecosystems that in some places DLNR-DAR describes as “total system collapse” while DOH has separately detected exceedances of the “Beach Action Value” for Fecal Indicator Bacteria (FIB) inside injection well plumes.
We need a *solid* plan to fund essential upgrades designed to eliminate the transfer of harmful pathogens to marine recreation areas and ecosystems in any South maui Community Plan that seeks to properly protect citizens, visitors and marine life from avoidable risk of infections disease and secondary effects such as cancer. Correction: the 2025 contract referenced was for the U.S. EPA (not DOH).
The USGS Kihei WWRF injection well plume paper referenced as “Hunt 2007” is attached and can be found at:
tinyurl.com/Hunt-2007
DEM Project CBS-5031 to realize 100% reef-safe UV (ultraviolet) wastewater effluent disinfection capacity at the Kīhei Wastewater Reclamation Facility is attached, along with CBS-1169 for work to realize the same capacity at the Kahului-Wailuku Wastewater Reclamation Facility discharging into nearshore waters on Maui’s beloved North Shore.
Pardon the wind sounds, wild hair, and teething pup!
Mahalo nui loa,
Travis A. Liggett, MS
+1 (808) 291-9934
Travis.Liggett@gmail.com
P. S. Anyone wishing to donate to eliminate the pathogen discharges described at Maui’s two municipal plants mentioned may do so here: kaiaction.org/donate for 0% overhead transfer directly to the County of Maui via Memorandum of Agreement, to complete this critical human and ecosystem health and safety work without further funding-related delay.
My name is Steve Bichich and I am a member of the Board of Director for the Keala O’ Wailea condo complex in Wailea. I am writing on the behalf of owners at Keala O Wailea regarding the Wailea Golf provisions in the proposed South Maui Community Plan. We are in support of the revised Wailea Golf plan submitted to this committee by the Wailea Community Association (WCA) on Monday September 21, 2026.
We are very concerned that the materials presently before the Committee appear to include an earlier owner-proposed Wailea Golf plan rather than the revised plan which was developed through the hard work of both WCA and its working group and Wailea Golf. A revised plan that is supported by a strong consensus of the WCA member community.
Under the revised plan, the Blue Course and the Gold Course would remain as they presently exist, and redevelopment or reconfiguration could occur with respect to the Emerald Course.
Just to be clear, Keala O Wailea remains opposed to any plan that would alter the Blue Course or permit residential development on it.
We are not suggesting that all future development in Wailea should be prohibited. To the contrary, the revised plan reflects an accommodation of both development and community wide interests. It would be a shame to ignore the strong support within the Wailea community for this revised plan.
Separately, any significant additional development in Wailea will necessarily require consideration of broader issues including traffic, water, infrastructure, public resources and cumulative impacts. Those matters will also need to be addressed as the planning and entitlement processes proceed. At this stage, however, our immediate request is simply that the Committee not advance the earlier Wailea Golf proposal within the South Maui Community Plan but replace it with the revised plan submitted to you by the WCA
My name is Barbara Kenrich and as a 20 year homeowner and full time resident I strongly urge the Council to adopt the new Amended or Revised Plan for South Maui which keeps 2 of the 3 Golf Courses ( Blue and Gold) and allows for development of the Emerald Course. The current plan submitted by Wailea Golf will create additional traffic on an already congested entry/exit to Wailea which is gridlocked during shift changes at the hotels making emergency evacuations next to impossible. The new plan allows for contained growth and has been approved by WCA and the homeowners in the area. The Open Space the Golf Courses provide are a big draw for conferences and tourists to Maui and these folks stay at nearby accommodations and visit the local restaurants who employ our workers.
For the Record – Opposition to the Wailea Golf LLC Proposal
As homeowners in Wailea, we respectfully submit our opposition to the proposal by Wailea Golf LLC that would allow development of existing golf course land.
Our connection to Maui spans more than 35 years. Long before becoming homeowners at Keala O Wailea, we traveled regularly to Maui and watched Wailea grow into the exceptional resort and residential community it is today. As Wailea property owners who contribute substantial taxes, we believe decisions concerning the future of this community should carefully consider not only additional development, but also the long-term value of preserving the open spaces, recreational amenities, views, and character that have made Wailea so desirable.
The three Wailea golf courses have been an important part of that character. They provide far more than recreational opportunities for golfers. The courses create significant open space, contribute to the resort atmosphere, support golf-related tourism and events, and provide the expansive views and low-density environment that attracted many existing homeowners to purchase property in Wailea.
We are particularly opposed to development of the Wailea Blue Course. We strongly encourage the County and Wailea Golf LLC to preserve the Blue Course in its current use rather than convert this land to additional development. If declining utilization is part of the justification for redevelopment, we believe alternatives should first be explored—including more affordable tee times, meaningful daily kamaʻāina rates, and other programs designed to increase participation by Maui residents and visitors.
The County should also carefully evaluate the cumulative effect that the loss of golf courses and open space could have on Wailea's tourism economy. In recent years, we have repeatedly heard from friends and longtime Maui visitors from the mainland who believe the overall cost of a Maui vacation has become increasingly difficult to justify compared with other destinations, including other Hawaiian islands. Some have told us they no longer plan to return.
For that reason, we believe any decision that permanently removes an established visitor amenity deserves particularly careful economic analysis. Wailea's three courses together provide something that one course—or even two—cannot necessarily replicate: greater tee-time availability, variety of play, the ability to accommodate golf groups and events, and another reason for golf-oriented travelers to choose Wailea for an extended stay.
Tourism remains an important part of Maui's economy and supports the livelihoods of many Maui families. Before approving development that permanently eliminates an existing golf course, we respectfully ask the County to examine current Wailea tourism trends and determine what effect the loss of golf capacity, recreational open space, and resort amenities could have on visitor demand, employment, and the businesses that depend upon tourism.
There is also an equally important issue for existing homeowners. Many families purchased homes and condominiums bordering these courses with the reasonable expectation that the golf-course setting, open space, views, privacy, and relatively low-density surroundings were fundamental characteristics of their properties and neighborhoods. Replacing those open spaces with additional development could substantially alter that environment. The interests of those existing property owners deserve serious consideration before an irreversible land-use change is approved.
We recognize the need for Maui to address housing affordability and the extraordinarily high cost of living for local residents. Those are critical issues. However, converting established resort golf-course and open-space land to additional development should not automatically be viewed as the solution, particularly without a thorough assessment of the long-term economic, environmental, infrastructure, community, and tourism consequences.
Our strongest request is that the Wailea Blue Course remain a golf course and that its open space be preserved. More broadly, we urge the County to protect Wailea's existing golf courses to the greatest extent possible and to carefully consider what would be permanently lost before allowing this land to be converted to development.
Once open space of this magnitude is developed, it cannot realistically be restored.
Wailea's future should not be evaluated solely by how much additional development its remaining land can accommodate. It should also be measured by how successfully we preserve the qualities that have made people want to visit, invest in, live in, and return to Wailea for generations.
We respectfully ask the County of Maui to throughly consider the long-term interests of Maui residents, existing homeowners, visitors, local businesses, and future generations before approving any proposal that would permanently eliminate one or more of Wailea's golf courses and its associated open space. Thank you. Cindy and Michael Liebsch
Further to the Wailea Blue Golf Course development my wife Darlene and I would like to record that we are strongly against the proposal put forward by the Wailea Golf LLC. The Wailea Golf proposal would do nothing but eliminate the the character and careful development of the Wailea community. As well, long term there would probably be no public golf courses in South Maui - wouldn't it be a shame to go from 5 (3 Wailea and 2 Makena) public golf courses to 0. I don't think this is what Maui wants!
We have studied the revised plan put forward by the Wailea Community Association and support the proposal largely because the plan is a result of consultation with all of the stakeholders and addresses the inevitable development of Maui. It does not just address one family trying to maximize their return on their real estate investment. The WCA plan is an excellent compromise which recognizes the need for inevitable future development but showing respect for those of us that are owners/residents in the Wailea community.
You are no doubt aware of the well documented DRIP concerns which are most valid considering today's environment and we won't comment on these valid points
Darlene and I request the committee not consider the proposal put forth by Wailea Golf and strongly support the community based compromise put forth by the Wailea Community Association. Thank you for your consideration. Graham & Darlene Cameron
Regarding the Wailea Blue Course development, it is my understanding there has been a compromise which leaves the Blue Course in tact. Please utilize this community/owner agreement as it helps maintain the integrity of Wailea while also enriching development the area. As an owner at Keala O Wailea we are deeply interested in maintaining the Blue Course.
I request the committee not advance the earlier Wailea Golf proposal until the discrepancy between that proposal and the later community compromise has been clarified and resolved. It is encouraging that both the community and the owner have come to acceptable agreement, and I ask that that agreement be utilized. Thank you.