Plans for further development on South Maui have been rejected at least for the moment. The latest proposal would have included housing, office and retail space on 75 acres in North K?hei. We get more on what comes next from Colleen Uechi of the Maui News.
The latest plan was a scaled-down version of what was once called the "megamalls"-- Pi'ilani Promenade was turned down by the state Land Use Commission which unanimously rejected the project's final environmental impact statement.
Dallas-based developer Sarofim Realty Advisors took over the project from a previous developer cutting back on plans for two largescale outlet malls.
The area's legal classification was changed from agricultural to urban more than 20 years ago.
Four years ago, the Land Use Commission ruled the previous project, which included nearly 700,000 square feet of retail space did not meet conditions for the land.
Community opposition remained strong against the latest version as well.
This one called for 530,000 square feet of business and commercial development, along with 226 multifamily apartments.
More than three dozen testifiers turned out at the LUC's latest hearing with critics outnumbering supporters by a margin of roughly three to one.
Opponents said there is plenty of unused commercial space in South Maui and they wanted more housing instead.
They also thought the study was incomplete. The Land Use Commission agreed.
But developers aren't giving up. Owners' representative Charlie Jencks said they would "regroup" and try to come back with a more complete study.
