MauiLifeStyleBlog

4th of July BBQ Guava-Licious Ribs
July 2nd, 2008 3:54 PM

Servings 10

Ribs:

9 – 12 lbs pork ribs or country-style ribs

2 pieces of sliced fresh ginger root

Water

Marinade:

1 cup sugar or honey (or less as ketchup is already sweet!

1 cup ketchup

¾ cup oyster sauce

1 ts minced ginger

2 ts chopped garlic

¾ ts Chinese five spice

1 cup Soy sauce – preferably unsalted!

2 cans (12 oz size) frozen guava nectar concentrate.

Prep:

Place ribs & sliced ginger in large pot and cover with water.

Bring to boil and cook for about 30 minutes or until pork is fork tender

Drain water.

While ribs are still warm, combine marinade ingredients in a recipient large

enough to contain ribs & marinade. Cover and marinate ribs overnight in refrigerator.

Grill over hot charcoal or broil in oven, basting meat repeatedly with the marinade.

Enjoy!


Posted by Fabienne Gandall on July 2nd, 2008 3:54 PMPost a Comment (0)

What fuels Maui Electricity?
July 2nd, 2008 3:33 PM

source: Maui Electric Company 1-808-871-9777

In Maui County, 14.5% of the electricity generated in 2007 came from renewable biomass, wind, hydro and biofuel sources of energy.

Due to Hawaii's need for oil for ground, sea & air transportation, our State has traditionally been an oil-based company.  Oil for electricity is refined from the same barrel imported for transportation use.  It is a system that made more sense when the cost of oil was relatively low.  We now need to change Hawaii's dependence on imported oil by increasing energy efficiency & conservation and using more renewable energy sources to increase Hawaii's energy security and address concerns about global warming.

The use of renewable energy on Maui is progressing.  Completed in 2006, the Kaheawa Wind Power Wind Farm provided a full year of electricity to the grid during 2007.  It is capable of producing up to 30 megawatts (MW) of power.

Looking forward, more wind projects have been proposed.  Oceanlinx Ltd. plans to install a 2.7 MW wave-to-energy demonstration project off the North coast of Maui in 2010.

And, the planned BlueEarth Biofuels plant will refine biodiesel for use at the electric Maalaea Power Plant.  It is expected to be completed in 2011.

Maui Electric Cy.

%*

Oil

83.7

Coal

1.8

Biofuel

0.1

Biomass

4.4

Hydro

0.7

Wind

9.3

Total

100

*percentage of fuels used to produce electricity based on the amount of elect5ricity generated by MECO and the amound purchased from independent power producers in 2007.

That's an excellent beginning! 


Posted by Fabienne Gandall on July 2nd, 2008 3:33 PMPost a Comment (0)

Just Listed! 1331 Kilou Street Wailuku, HI 96793
March 15th, 2008 5:41 PM
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Listings Photo
$675,000.00
1331 Kilou Street

Wailuku, HI 96793



Beds: 3.0 Rooms: 3
Baths: 3.00 Sq. Ft.: 1522.00
Garage: 2.0 Built: 2000
 

This is a new listing that
I thought you might be
interested in. Visit this
listing online to see more
photos of the property,
Google Earth satellite
images, and much more.
 

If you have any questions
about this property or
require more information,
please feel free to call.

Fabienne Gandall
Realty Executive of Maui, HI LLC
808 280-8167
www.relocateonmaui.com



 
  Visit this listing at Here

Posted by Fabienne Gandall on March 15th, 2008 5:41 PMPost a Comment (0)

Hawaii Market at a Glance - Feb '08
March 1st, 2008 11:16 AM

Hawaii

Empowered by a strong high-end market and few foreclosures, the Hawaii real estate market has not caught the national real estate recession. While Hawaiians see daily news reports of falling home prices on the mainland, they have defied gravity.

Home and condo sales have slowed slightly in Hawaii, but not enough to have a major effect on its markets. Housing Predictor forecasts that Hawaii will stay clear of a housing recession in 2008 and just may miss a down turn in its markets all together, at least for now.

The draw of the Island’s sunshine has propelled Hawaii luxury real estate sales ahead of 2006. Global interest has increased in Hawaii, despite few Japanese investors in the marketplace. However, that may change soon as Japan’s investment trust laws change in 2008 to provide new investment incentives for Japanese investors.

The regulatory changes of the J-REIT (Japanese real estate investment trust) will allow capital to purchase property in Hawaii and could provide a huge infusion of Japanese money into Hawaii, which has long been a major investment area for the Japanese.

HAWAII MARKET AT A GLANCE
  City       Forecast
  Honolulu            6.8%
  Kauai            4.9%
  Maui            5.6%

International and U.S. east coast real estate buyers have compensated for the drop off in demand from the rest of the nation. In Honolulu the median prices are staying at about where they were a year ago, which represents Hawaii as the only state in the country to have a stable housing market.

The inventory of homes has also declined instead of increased in Hawaii, which is unparalleled else where in the nation.

Building is still abundant in Honolulu. As the nation’s second largest vacation home market behind Florida, Waikiki hasn’t seen as much development as now since the 1960s when the area was originally designed as a resort magnet. In Kapolei a new major residential development is underway. As a result of a healthy market place, few foreclosures, and the infusion from Japan Housing Predictor forecasts Honolulu to appreciate 6.8% for the year.

In Maui condo development is underway. Maui is becoming the state’s second most developed island and new construction is still on-going. Maui will see a healthy pace of home and condo sales on the way to forecast 5.6% appreciation.

On Kauai home sales have also slowed slightly, but with its more relaxed less urban setting Kauai still has healthy consistent growth. Condo development is limited to four stories on this remote more 1970's version of the islands, keeping the flavor of Hawaii rituals more intact.

Kauai is forecast to see another year of good home sales growth in 2008 on the way to 4.9% in appreciation for the year.

Source: HousingPredictor.com - end Feb 2008


Posted by Fabienne Gandall on March 1st, 2008 11:16 AMPost a Comment (0)

The 2008 Top 25 Real Estate Market Forecast
March 1st, 2008 11:09 AM

The 2008
Top 25 Real Estate Market Forecast

An amazing dozen states real estate markets are represented on the 2008 Housing Predictor Top 25 Market list.

The Top 25 with the highest forecast appreciation have the greatest probability of reaching their forecast of the more than 250 local housing markets Housing Predictor forecasts. In 2007 Housing Predictor’s forecasts were 86% correct within a 1 to 2 percent margin.

Yakima, Washington in eastern Washington State won the #1 position with forecast appreciation of 7.1% after appreciating strongly in the past year. Yakima still has a fairly active market, despite mortgage woes.

However, Hawaii is the strongest single state in the nation for real estate sales, and Honolulu was selected for the second spot in the Top 25, followed by Salem, Oregon. Six states each placed 3 communities on the list.

Interestingly, the top markets for 2008 are scattered throughout all parts of the U.S. from the west to the east and into the southern states. No particular area was more dominate than another as more and more smaller communities based on population made the forecast. The forecast shows a strong trend that is developing in the U.S. More people are moving to smaller less urban cities seeking a better quality of life.

Top 25 US Appreciating Real Estate Markets
 Rank    Real Estate Market   2008 Forecast
    1.    Yakima, WA        7.1%
    2.    Honolulu, HI        6.8%
    3.    Salem, OR        6.5%
    4.    Maui, HI        5.6%
    5.    Bismarck, ND        5.6%
    6.    Manhattan, NY        5.2%
    7.    Sun Valley, ID        5.1%
    8.    Biloxi, MS        5.1%
    9.    Kauai, HI        4.9%
   10.    Austin, TX        4.8%
   11.    Grand Junction, CO        4.5%
   12.    Fargo, ND        4.5%
   13.    Mobile, AL        4.4%
   14.    McAllen, TX        4.3%
   15.    Idaho Falls, ID        4.2%
   16.    Spokane, WA        4.2%
   17.    Glen Falls,NY        4.0%
   18.    Salt Lake City, UT        3.9%
   19.    Grand Forks,ND        3.9%
   20.    San Antonio, TX        3.9%
   21.    Seattle, WA        3.8%
   22.    Pascagoula, MS        3.8%
   23.    Hattiesburg, MS        3.7%
   24.    Albuquerque, NM        3.5%
   25.    Kellogg, ID        3.5%

Source: HousingPredictor.com - end Feb 2008

Posted by Fabienne Gandall on March 1st, 2008 11:09 AMPost a Comment (0)

Maui Real Estate Statistics since 1998 !!!!!!
March 1st, 2008 10:49 AM
MAUI STATISTICS  SINCE 1998
    RESIDENTIAL SALES
YEAR # OF HOMES % CHANGE  PREV YEAR $$$ VOLUME

% CHANGE  PREV YEAR

AVG SALES PRICE %CHANGE   PREV YEAR
1998 638 19% $237,389,657 28% $358,350 8%
1999 937 47% $334,125,505 41% $356,591 1%
2000 951 1.50% $430,336,970 29% $452,510 21%
2001 986 4.00% $402,272,072 -6.50% $407,984 -10%
2002 978 -1.00% $480,440,215 19.50% $491,248 20.50%
2003 1410 44% $833,623,165 73.50% $591,222 20.50%
2004 1221 -13.50% $891,652,502 7% $730,264 23.50%
2005 1317 8% $1,221,325,592 37% $927,354 27%
2006 1088 -17.50% $1,024,279,861 -16% $941,434 1.50%
2007** 1156 6% $1,091,733,333 6.50% $944,406 0%
***Projected Year End
CONDO SALES
YEAR # OF CONDOS % CHANGE  PREV YEAR $$$ VOLUME % CHANGE  PREV YEAR AVG SALES PRICE %CHANGE   PREV YEAR
1998 964 19% $222,897,755 30% $231,222 9%
1999 1321 37% $300,280,824 35% $227,313 -1.50%
2000 1456 10% $389,026,822 29.50% $267,189 17.50%
2001 1309 -10% $391,385,211 0% $298,996 12%
2002 1551 18.50% $466,827,543 19% $300,985 1%
2003 1986 28% $703,925,462 51% $354,444 18%
2004 1933 -2.50% $847,147,291 20% $438,255 24%
2005 2000 3.50% $1,100,762,199 30% $550,381 26%
2006 1210 -39.50% $935,590,294 -15% $773,215 40.50%
2007** 1201 -1% $939,839,344 0% $782,330 1%
***Projected Year End
LAND SALES
YEAR # OF LOTS % CHANGE  PREV YEAR $$$ VOLUME % CHANGE  PREV YEAR AVG SALES PRICE %CHANGE   PREV YEAR
1998 227 6% $67,653,390 40% $298,033 9%
1999 387 70.50% $137,172,025 103% $354,450 19%
2000 359 -7% $152,225,973 11% $424,028 19.50%
2001 365 2% $166,142,677 9% $455,185 7%
2002 393 8% $178,604,910 7.50% $454,465 0%
2003 439 12% $220,053,073 23% $501,260 10%
2004 479 9% $304,026,602 38% $634,711 27%
2005 429 -10% $364,823,412 20% $850,404 34%
2006 255 -40% $266,578,514 -27% $1,045,406 23%
2007** 239 -6% $197,526,853 -26% $827,626 -21%
***Projected Year End

Posted by Fabienne Gandall on March 1st, 2008 10:49 AMPost a Comment (0)

Did You Know? (part 2 of 2)
March 1st, 2008 10:42 AM

...

Shame on me... I forgot to post the 2nd part of Did You Know...

The ethnic makeup of Maui County rally shows our diversity.  Caucasians make up 35% of the island's residents.  Asians (which include Chinese, Filipino, Japanese & Korean) make up 33% and Native Hawaiians make up only 18%.  Rounding off the rest are Latinos with 9 percent, African-Americans with 1% and Americian Indians make up 1% as well.  And finally, there is 3% of the population who don't know what they are but hey... that souldn't surprise anybody!.

Another fact that surprised me is the height of the West Maui Mountains.  Looking at them from down here in Kihei, they look almost as high as Haleakala.  Well guess what?  The highest point is 5,778', whereas the Haleakala is a big 10,025' high.

If somebody asks you how many people vacation or visit Maui in a single year, the figure is 2.5 million.  And they leave around $3.1 billion behind or about $1,300 for each visitor. This big invlux of visitors is no doubt partially due to Conde Nast Traveler magazine ranking Maui as the best island destination in the world for the 12th consecutive year!

With Warm Alohaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa


Posted by Fabienne Gandall on March 1st, 2008 10:42 AMPost a Comment (0)

Just Listed! 1479 S. Kihei Road Kihei, HI 96753
February 11th, 2008 4:45 PM
Header
Header_2
Listings Photo
$479,000.00
1479 S. Kihei Road

Kihei, HI 96753



Beds: 2.0 Rooms: 2
Baths: 2.00 Sq. Ft.: 886.00
Garage: 3.0 Built: 2008
 

Kai Ani Village, the Newest Development in Kihei at the intersection of S. Kihei Road and Lipoa Street. 2 or 3 bedrooms condos with attached 1 or 2 car garage. Walking distance to the beach and to ALL amenities. Some mixed use units commercial/residential also available. Call for more info
This is a new listing that
I thought you might be
interested in. Visit this
listing online to see more
photos of the property,
Google Earth satellite
images, and much more.
 

If you have any questions
about this property or
require more information,
please feel free to call.

Fabienne Gandall
Realty Executive of Maui, HI LLC
808 280-8167
www.relocateonmaui.com



 
  Visit this listing at Here

Posted by Fabienne Gandall on February 11th, 2008 4:45 PMPost a Comment (0)

Australian Scientists have discovered the meaning of humpback whales sounds
November 7th, 2007 10:58 PM

By Tessa Dunlop Wed Nov 7, 9:05 PM ET

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian scientists studying humpback whales sounds say they have begun to decode the whale's mysterious communication system, identifying male pick-up lines and motherly warnings.

Wops, thwops, grumbles and squeaks are part of the extensive whale repertoire recorded by scientists from the University of Queensland working on the Humpback Whale Acoustic Research Collaboration (HARC) project.

Recording whale sounds over a three-year period, scientists discovered at least 34 different types of whale calls, with data published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

"I was expecting to find maybe 10 different social vocalizations, but in actual fact found 34. It's just such a wide, varied repertoire," University of Queensland researcher Rebecca Dunlop told Reuters.

The researchers studied migrating east humpback whales, as they traveled up and down Australia's east coast, and recorded 660 sounds from 61 different groups.

Researchers attached audio transmitters to buoys near the whales and monitored the whale interaction from the shore.

Many of the whale sounds could overlap in meaning, said Dunlop, but some had clear meanings.

A purr by males appeared to signify the male was trying his luck to mate a desirable female. High frequency cries and screams were associated with disagreements, when males jostled to escort females during migration, she said.

A wop sound was common when mothers were together with their young. "The wop was probably one of the most common sounds I heard, probably signifying a mum calf contact call," said Dunlop.

Dunlop stopped short of defining the whale communication as a language, but said there were clear similarities with human interaction.

"Its quite fascinating that they're obviously marine mammals, they've been separated from terrestrial mammals for a long, long, long time, but yet still seem to be following the same basic communication system," she said.

Dunlop hopes further research on the subject will help reveal the effect of boats and man-induced sonar on migrating whales.

(Editing by Alex Richardson)


Posted by Fabienne Gandall on November 7th, 2007 10:58 PMPost a Comment (0)

Affordable or NO housing?
October 7th, 2007 1:34 PM

The Maui News, Saturday, October 06, 2007

Editorial

Affordable or no housing?

In withdrawing its application for a 72-unit affordable housing complex, Maui Lani Partners has not denied its obligation to provide some form of affordable housing imposed as a condition of the original zoning for the 1,000-acre project district.

But it is sending a message to Maui County Council members that their demands can be unreasonable. There was no backbiting in the letter from Leiane Paci advising the council that the development group will take another look at how to provide the housing it is obligated to build.

It is clear that the conditions demanded by the council Policy Committee made the project financially unfeasible. Maui Lani already has expended thousands of dollars on developing plans for the proposed rental apartment complex aimed at families in the lower-income brackets of the community. No developer would accept those costs as losses without seriously considering all of its options.

What drives the council committee clearly is a complete disregard for the costs of building any project. Policy Chairman Danny Mateo insists that he still believes the conditions proposed by the committee were fair, but offers no insights on why he thinks the project could be more affordable.

There is a tendency among some members apparently to believe that the county government in support of populist sentiment has a right to restrict profit by business - even prohibit it. It's a strange position for council members to take after every one of them defended a massive increase in their own salaries to suggest that developers really ought to bite the bullet and do with less.

That the council members had no authority to turn down the 26 percent pay increases granted by the county Salary Commission is irrelevant. None of them went to the commission before it made its decision to argue that an increase was unwarranted or unnecessary.

The reality is council members seek the office because they think they will make a difference in the future of the county, but they don't just do it out of the goodness of their hearts. They expect to be paid for their work.

Subdivision developers build houses because they believe there is a market for what they can provide, and they expect to be paid for it. They don't build houses just because they have good hearts and know the community needs places to live.

Copyright © 2007 The Maui News.

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

This message is provided as a service of Maui Tomorrow and distributed to subscribers of our email update list.

 

______________________________________________________________

Maui Tomorrow

P.O. Box 299, Makawao, Hawaii 96768 808-579-9802

aina@maui-tomorrow.org http://maui-tomorrow.org


Posted by Fabienne Gandall on October 7th, 2007 1:34 PMPost a Comment (0)

Do you know how to sail a Superferry?
September 18th, 2007 9:37 PM

The Honolulu Advertiser, Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Hawaii Superferry proved its skill, captain testifies

By Christie Wilson, Advertiser Neighbor Island Editor

WAILUKU, Maui - A Hawaii Superferry captain yesterday said the company's 350-foot catamaran proved its maneuverability last month when surfers, paddlers and other protesters jumped into the waters of Nawiliwili Harbor to keep the Alakai from docking.

"It performed flawlessly," said Capt. Adam Parsons, who was at the helm on the ship's two visits to Kaua'i on Aug. 26 and 27. "I'm probably the only person in the state who has backed out of Nawiliwili Harbor in a large vessel."

Parsons was a witness yesterday in a Maui Circuit Court hearing, now in its second week, to determine whether Hawaii Superferry can resume service to Maui while the state conducts an environmental assessment of publicly funded projects built to accommodate the new interisland service at Kahului Harbor. His testimony was meant to address criticism that the high-speed ferry poses a threat to the endangered humpback whales that winter in Hawai'i.

The ferry, powered by water jets, is expected to operate at 37 knots, or about 43 mph. By comparison, cruise ships, container vessels and freighters operate in the 20-knot range.

NOAA Fisheries recommends vessel speeds in the vicinity of 13 knots to reduce the risk of whale collisions and serious injury to the animals. The federal agency and others have expressed concern the company's whale-avoidance plan doesn't substantially reduce the risk to whales.

Parsons pointed out the Alakai's speed works in its favor, allowing maneuverability unmatched by larger ships.

At 37 knots, the shallow-draft catamaran can come to a stop in a distance of 1,050 feet, or about 40 seconds, he said, while a cruise ship sailing at only 13 knots would need 1,500 feet.

Plus, he said, the Alakai can do something larger ships can't: stop and turn at the same time.

Parsons said the ferry's stopping distance drops to 600 to 700 feet if it is also maneuvering away from a potential collision.

'LARGER SAFETY MARGIN'

Describing the catamaran's turning ability, Parsons said the Alakai can complete a circle at full speed in four-tenths of a mile, while it would take three miles for a cruise ship to make the same maneuver.

The water-jet propulsion system also allows the captain to instantly initiate a reverse thrust to stop the ferry.

"We have a larger safety margin than any vessel out there. We can turn faster and stop significantly faster, 50 percent faster, than any ship plying the same routes," he said.

Parsons also explained the difference in the wakes generated by the ferry and a cruise ship.

The shorter ferry has a shallower draft, and its water jets create a short burst of surface turbulence that quickly dissipates, he said.

Although it may appear the ferry is kicking up a large wake as it accelerates out of port, the turbulence dissipates long before reaching the beach, a breakwater or outrigger canoes that share the harbor, according to Parsons.

A larger deep-draft vessel displaces a solid block of water as it cuts through the ocean, creating a long swell that travels much farther, he said.

Parsons' remarks were in response to testimony last week from Iokepa Nae'ole, a fisherman, surfer, diver and paddler who said he is worried for the safety of paddlers, kayakers, paddle boarders and other ocean users who head out from Kahului Harbor to a two-mile buoy north of the harbor mouth, along the ferry route, or come into the harbor on long-distance runs from Maliko Gulch.

Parsons also remarked on his experience as a boat captain in Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park, where humpback whales spend their summers feeding. He said that during the two summers he worked there, in 2005 and 2006, he was not aware of any whale collisions or close calls. Vessel speeds in the park can range from 13 to 28 knots, he said, depending on boat traffic and whale density.

He said whale blows, tale and pectoral fin slapping and other behavior make the creatures easy to spot from several miles away.

"Once you see one you assume there are others around so you maneuver away from that so you don't get near the pod," he said.

BLIND SPOT

On cross-examination by attorney Isaac Hall, Parsons acknowledged the sight line from the ferry's bridge straight ahead to the ocean surface leaves a 300-foot-long blind spot. Hall is representing Maui Tomorrow, the Sierra Club and the Kahului Harbor Coalition, which won a Hawai'i Supreme Court decision ordering the state to perform an environmental assessment of the harbor projects.

The Hawaii Superferry's whale-avoidance policy includes whale-season routes that run outside the boundaries of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and avoiding other whale-dense waters of 100 fathoms (600 feet) or less when possible.

The ferry also will have two dedicated whale lookouts in addition to the bridge crew, and specialized binoculars and other equipment to help spot whales. Parsons said the vessel will attempt to maintain a distance from whales of about 500 yards; federal rules call for keeping a distance of at least 100 yards.

Parsons acknowledged the ferry may have to travel through sanctuary waters when rough ocean conditions make it dangerous to sail north of Moloka'i. In that case, the vessel would move at no more than 25 knots.

'CRIMINAL' RISKS

Also testifying yesterday was Maui County Councilwoman Michelle Anderson, who said an environmental review of the ferry-related harbor projects would give county officials more time to prepare for a different type of visitor the ferry would bring.

Anderson introduced a resolution passed by the council in May 2005 urging the state to conduct a review. Councils on Kaua'i and the Big Island passed similar measures.

The South Maui councilwoman said the ferry would make it easier for "a criminal element" from O'ahu to import trouble, challenging local police already stretched thin.

"We don't want O'ahu's urban problems brought to Maui, not to mention drug dealers and criminals of all sorts. ... To invite more problems without any type of assessment to handle it is just irresponsible."

She said the 2 million or so visitors who fly to Maui annually are different from passengers who would bring their vehicles with them on the ferry because "tourists don't come here to pick our 'opihi ... but there are plenty of people on O'ahu who still value 'opihi ... and our secret ulua places."

Under questioning by Hawaii Superferry attorney Lisa Munger, Anderson refused to acknowledge that Maui's resources belong to the entire state, saying that would depend on one's view of "home rule."

The hearing resumes at 10 a.m. today.


Posted by Fabienne Gandall on September 18th, 2007 9:37 PMPost a Comment (0)

Do Maui towns need limits???
September 18th, 2007 9:34 PM

The Maui News, Monday, September 17, 2007

Maui towns need limits

The basic structure of government in the islands often comes as a surprise that creates confusion among newcomers. Unlike most places on the Mainland, there are just two levels of government in the islands. There is the state government and there are the county governments. That's it - no townships and no municipalities.

Not having delineated towns also leads to major planning issues. One of the goals of the current revision of the general plan is to put "city limits" around urban areas. Maui was once considered rural. Populations were centered around sugar mills, pineapple plantations, ranches and the harbor, with thousands of acres of fields and pastures around them. Although there is still plenty of room for "country living" in the county, a better definition for Maui today would be ex-urban, not yet suburban and not exactly urban.

A major focus of current planning efforts, brought into sharp relief by the controversy over transient vacation rentals, is to confine urban sprawl and protect the open space that is so vital to Maui's overall appeal to residents and to visitors.

Attempts to limit sprawl in the past foundered on the shoals of profit. Owners of land on the edges of what are now urban areas could see limitations on development possibilities. They are right, but if Maui is to avoid unplanned development, residential/urban areas must be defined.

One result of the unplanned development of Maui has been the rise of transient vacation rentals in rural areas. Current plans call for banning the so-called TVRs from ag-zoned land even though individual parcels are too small to be economically viable as farms.

The times are a-changing. It may be that the future of agriculture lies with combining tourism with food production. That seems to be the idea behind requiring a B&B operator in the ag zone to earn $35,000 a year from agriculture.

After years of anything-goes land use policies, the county must tighten controls, but it should do so with a mind that is open to new possibilities that would fit with the overall goal - a Maui that retains the best of its past while being prepared for the future.

Copyright © 2007 The Maui News.


Posted by Fabienne Gandall on September 18th, 2007 9:34 PMPost a Comment (0)

Maui Bed & Breakfast endangered species...
September 14th, 2007 3:52 PM
The Maui News
Friday, September 14, 2007

Planning official: Enforcement due to Transient Vacation Rentals' increase

By HARRY EAGAR, Staff Writer

WAILUKU - A stranger in town could have been forgiven for wondering what the fuss was about at Wednesday's Transient Vacation Rental Informational Forum at the Iao Theater.

Almost nobody had anything bad to say about TVRs. Nobody in the audience of nearly 200 did. And four of the five panelists didn't.

Only county Planning Director Jeff Hunt had a discouraging word, and even he was trying to be conciliatory. When he took the job early this year, his department was criticized for not enforcing the zoning law, he said. Then when it did start enforcing it, he was criticized for that.

"We were damned when we didn't, and we were damned when we did."

All but a few of the island's estimated 1,100 short-term vacation rental businesses are facing extinction Jan. 1. Hunt was asked to explain why the county could suspend enforcement of the zoning law for years, then turn around and enforce it rigorously.

Hunt pointed to the number - 1,100. When enforcement was suspended pending passage of a bill that would have regularized TVRs, he said, there were an estimated 500 operating without permits.

During the six-year hiatus, TVRs grew at the rate of 14 percent per year "with no regulation at all."

"As the number of rentals increased, public support for them shifted," Hunt said.

With that shift, the new council filed a bill that had been under review for years. It would
have made it possible for many (but not all) existing TVRs to get legal.

By scrapping the bill, most of the 1,100 operating businesses were left either with no way
to get legal or no way to get legal by the end of this year.

"I think for a short period nonenforcement was reasonable," Hunt said.

But after six years, the administration no longer treats it that way.

That brought out the crowd, because many fear they will lose their incomes or even their
properties with a deadline of Jan. 1.

The Maui Vacation Rental Association is preparing a lawsuit to block the county from proceeding with enforcement, but it has not gone to court yet.

Later in the meeting, expanding on his early remarks, Hunt said, "The argument to stay the course assumes a bill will be adopted. That is how we got into this situation six years ago."

The situation is giving Maui's visitor industry a global black eye, said panel member Vanessa Ghantous, executive vice president for operations at McCoy Customer Travel.

People who made plans to stay in TVRs as much as a year ago are being told their reservations cannot be honored. Hotels are either full or too expensive, said Ghantous, and Internet commentary is full of complaints about Maui.

"If people have a good time, they tell one person. If they have a bad time, they tell 10.
Word is definitely spreading."

The meeting began with a short history of enforcement from former Mayor Alan Arakawa.
During his four-year term, enforcement was stayed, so long as businesses had applied for
permits. However, some operators say they were discouraged from applying.

The origin of the stay went back to the administration of the previous mayor, James
"Kimo" Apana, and Arakawa said he accepted it while he was on the council.

Then the panelists each made a short presentation.

David Dantes, president of MVRA, said the county had strung operators along and then suddenly hung them out to dry, with a very short time to react.

Since notices of violation have been issued, at least 20 TVRs shut down in July, he said, and he assumes there were at least as many in August.

He said the operators have learned that the zoning enforcement division is going to change its rule so that merely finding an advertisement for a TVR would be evidence that it is operating without a permit.

Hunt later said that this change is in the works, but only for appeals to the Board of Variances and Appeals. It could not, as the operators fear, be used to convict anyone of a violation, because the board doesn't have that power.

"This is a crisis," Dantes said. "We are on the brink of financial disaster."

Thursday, he supplemented that statement with an exchange of e-mails with the mayor's office.

"In order for the public to appreciate why MVRA has no choice but to seek a court order, it must be understood that the county is unwilling to negotiate," he said.

He said Hunt referred MVRA to Mayor Charmaine Tavares, who referred them to Council Member Gladys Baisa, who chairs the Planning Committee, who responded that the council couldn't do anything until it had a draft bill to consider.

Bills to establish standards on permitting bed-and-breakfast operations and transient
vacation rentals have been drafted and will go to the Maui and Molokai planning commissions for initial review in October. (See related story.)

That didn't help, Dantes said, because there is no way the bills can be acted on before his
members will have to shut down.

Working with the council will not help meet the deadline set by Hunt, Dantes said.

"The solution is for the county of Maui to keep its word," he said.

Hunt said the solution is "to persuade the County Council to pass an ordinance."

Warren Watanabe, president of the Maui County Farm Bureau, spoke about the effect of TVRs in ag districts. He said farmers' worries are not just about TVRs but about anything that encroaches on farmland, because once ag land goes to some other use, "it's never going to come back."

He said the bureau supports making the application process "more user-friendly," but the
answer to whether or not to put vacation businesses on ag land is to "reclassify," that
is, change the ag land to urban. "Transient vacation rental has its place."

He said the current statewide review to establish which ag lands are "important" should be the guide as to where ag land can appropriately be changed to urban.

Dave DeLeon, who works for the Realtors Association of Maui, said the visitor market has
changed over the decades, in favor of small rentals, and "the county needs to change or lose that market."

"The county has made a complete mess of a worthy component of the visitor industry," he said.

One of the objections to TVRs is a claim that they take long-term rentals away from residents, although MVRA disputes this.

Later, DeLeon was asked what the market would do with houses now being used for TVRs if they are thrown on the market, especially by owners who cannot pay their mortgages.

DeLeon, a licensed real estate agent, said he doesn't know.

"We'll see if the market collapses," he said.

In answer to a question about fractional ownership of large homes, DeLeon said it's
already happening. This is somewhat similar to time share: a group of people club together to buy a house, with each getting use of it for a month or two each year.

DeLeon said he didn't believe this kind of ownership could be regulated, and at least the
more expensive TVRs would end up in that kind of use, rather than going into the local long-term rental pool.

"The market is driven by lots of people with lots of money who want to come here," he said.

Hunt's draft bill would drive TVRs out of the ag and rural zones. That fits "smart growth"
policies, he said, because "additional growth in rural dwelling patterns is a costly way to
provide services." Smart growth brings people together in centers where people can get around by walking or biking, he said.

The General Plan revision, now under review, will include "urban growth boundaries, which will make it difficult for any development, not just TVRs, in nonurban districts," he said.

"The market seems to want small, rural home sites," Hunt said, but "the Planning Department will not support a lot of this zoning."

The forum was sponsored by The Maui News and hosted by the Maui Chamber of Commerce.

Harry Eagar can be reached at heagar@mauinews.com.
Copyright © 2007 The Maui News

Posted by Fabienne Gandall on September 14th, 2007 3:52 PMPost a Comment (0)

The Saga of the Hawaii Superferry!
September 5th, 2007 11:39 PM

The Honolulu Advertiser

Updated at 9:59 a.m., Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Court hearing on Superferry service to Maui postponed

A hearing on whether to keep in place the ban on Hawaii Superferry service to Maui until the state conducts an environmental assessment has been postponed until next week.

The hearing, which was initially scheduled for 9:30 a.m. tomorrow in Maui Circuit Court, is now set for 9 a.m. Monday.

The hearing before Judge Joseph Cardoza is expected to decide whether a preliminary and/or permanent injunction will be issued to keep the ban on Hawaii Superferry service to Maui in place until the state Department of Transportation conducts an environmental assessment on the Kahului Harbor projects.

In a court case brought by Maui Tomorrow, the Sierra Club and the Kahului Harbor Coalition, the state Supreme Court ruled Aug. 23 that the state was wrong to exempt publicly funded ferry-related projects at the Kahului Harbor from the state's environmental protection law.

The Maui projects, which include a barge, ramps, fencing and utilities, are part of $40 million in state-funded, ferry-related construction at Kahului, Nawiliwili, Honolulu and Kawaihae harbors.

Following the ruling, Cardoza last month granted the plaintiffs' request for a temporary restraining order banning the state from allowing the ferry to use Kahului Harbor.

At an Aug. 29 hearing, Cardoza rejected a motion by Hawaii Superferry and the DOT to dissolve the temporary order.

© COPYRIGHT 2007 The Honolulu Advertiser, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

 

 

--

____________________________________________________________________________

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.


Posted by Fabienne Gandall on September 5th, 2007 11:39 PMPost a Comment (0)

Wailea 670 now Honua'ula, what's in a name?
July 24th, 2007 11:51 AM
The following article is provided as an electronic news clipping service,
and does not necessarily represent the position of Maui Tomorrow Foundation,
Inc., nor do we guarantee the accuracy of the information reported.
___________________________________________________________________________


Wailea 670, What's in a name?     

A few years ago the proposed luxury development next to Maui Meadows changed its name from Wailea 670 to Honua'ula. Is there any harm in changing the name of a subdivision searching for a "brand" identity to a "more Hawaiian" name?

In traditional Hawaiian life, a name was often very important. A place name like Wailea, for example, told a story.

 Wailea today is a multi-million dollar brand name symbolizing glamorous hotels, shops and luxury gated communities. In one more generation, few will recall that Wailea once referred to a small spring and the remains of an ancient Hawaiian fishing settlement on Wailea Point. Fewer still will recall the place name Kahamanini, referring to the abundance of reef fish in nearby waters.

Who will remember that Wailea is part of the ahupua'a of Paeahu? This ancient place name tells a story of many rows of stacked rock (ahu) along these lands. Ahu were used to dry fish, plant sweet potatoes or as ceremonial markers.  Dozens of "rock mounds" were noted in Wailea golf course archaeological surveys. They, like the names Kahamanini and Paeahu have now vanished from our sight and our memories, replaced with smooth golf courses, now "re-branded," as Wailea.

What about the Wailea fishing settlement? The wai (freshwater spring) that gave the little settlement its name, has disappeared. The settlement complex was rich in artifacts spanning nearly five centuries. It was replaced by a multimillion-dollar condo after years of neglect and vandals left it too "degraded" to be preserved in place.

The complex has been "reconstructed' into several oblong shapes further south. Visitors along the Wailea Point coastal trail read the plaque and believe they are viewing an authentic Hawaiian cultural site.
 
Has anything been lost by the expansion of the name Wailea from a humble fishing settlement to a world-class resort?

And what about the ancient name of Honua'ula?.

Honua'ula is best known as one of Maui's 12 traditional moku, (ancient districts). Honua'ula sailed with the great navigator Moikeha and landed upon the shores of Maui. Did he give his name to this district?

Honua'ula moku included the southeastern flanks of Haleakala from near the Kihei boat ramp to Kahikinui. During the first western census  (1831) Honua'ula was the 4th largest population center on Maui. "Honua'ula Church" (Makena's Keawala'I church) was referred to as the "mother church" of the region during the 1850's.

Is 670 acres of lands that span the three ahupua'a of Paeahu, Palau'ea and Keauhou more worthy of the name Honua'ula than the lands surrounding Makena landing, Keoneo'i'o or Ulupalakua Ranch?  All are part of Honua'ula.
 
Would the long and legendary past of the entire district of Honua'ula be forgotten if this name is widely marketed and applied only to one tiny portion of what is a very large district?

Anyone rightfully using the name Honua'ula should honor our ancestors and protect our history and legacy at all costs. A place calling itself Honua'ula should prominently showcase Hawaiian culture. It should respect, value and protect all parts of that culture in their natural state- the land forms, the plants and the remains of Hawaiian cultural sites.

It should consult with multiple archaeological scholars and not rely on only one firm whose reputation is under dispute (see Star Bulletin 11/19/05). For a new town to be worthy of the name Honua'ula it should invite the whole community to be part of its preservation process, Is this the case?

The last four owners of the 670 lands have done little to seek out ways to preserve its plants or cultural sites. Its 1988 Environmental Study, noted no cultural sites at all. Only two dozen are recorded today. The native plant survey found little as well and recommended only a tiny preserve area that was later bulldozed "by persons unknown." Citizen interest lead to further surveys and the discovery of rich habitat areas.

The present Wailea 670 Preservation and Stewardship Plan minimizes the importance of 24 species of native plants on site and gives the developers an "expert" opinion that will allow them destroy up to 95% of the 110 acres of Wiliwili dryland forest habitat.

I say to the local people of Maui, be onipa'a, steadfast. Come Wednesday, July 25, at 1:30 p.m. to the County Council's public hearing on Wailea 670. County building, 200 S. High Street Wailuku, 8th floor. Be credible and don't be angry. Or write the Council. Register at SaveMakena.org, and be counted to protect what is left of the real Maui.

Ed Lindsay
President  Hawaiian Cultural Lands

Posted by Fabienne Gandall on July 24th, 2007 11:51 AMPost a Comment (0)

Starwood to build luxury Maui Hotel
July 4th, 2007 11:37 PM

The Honolulu Advertiser   Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Starwood to build luxury Maui hotel

By Oliver Staley, Bloomberg News Service

NEW YORK - Starwood Capital Group LLC has chosen Wailea, Maui, as the location for the first in a new worldwide chain of luxury Baccarat Hotels and Resorts inspired by the 243-year-old French crystal manufacturer.

The first Baccarat hotel will open in Wailea in 2010, Starwood Capital said in a statement yesterday.

Other locations will follow in the Mainland U.S., Caribbean, Europe and Asia, it said without giving more details.

Starwood Capital is headed by Barry Sternlicht, who built Starwood Hotels into the third-largest U.S. lodging company. Sternlicht took over France's only profitable crystal maker from the Taittinger family in 2005 when he bought a majority stake in Societe du Louvre SA. Starwood Capital wants to transform Baccarat into a global luxury brand, company executives said in interviews last year.

Starwood Capital, based in Greenwich, Conn., is developing the "1" chain of luxury environmentally themed hotels. It's also part of a group bidding on Riviera Holdings Corp., a casino company.

Sternlicht established Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. in 1995 and resigned as its chairman 10 years later.


Posted by Fabienne Gandall on July 4th, 2007 11:37 PMPost a Comment (0)

Show me The Water!
July 4th, 2007 12:44 AM

http://www.mauinews.com/story.aspx?id=31928

The Maui News   Tuesday, July 03, 2007 

Planning development? Bill: Show me the water

By CLAUDINE SAN NICOLAS, Staff Writer

WAILUKU - A proposal to prohibit future developments without a long-term, reliable source of water received renewed support Monday from residents and representatives of groups such as Earthjustice and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

The County Council's Water Resources Committee deferred action on the proposal, which Chairwoman Michelle Anderson recommended should be fine-tuned.

Under the measure, land-use approvals would not be granted to developments unless there's a guaranteed supply of water for more than 20 years.

Former Council Member Dain Kane proposed a similar measure two years ago, saying it would make land-use planning come before development.

Real estate developers criticized the bill, saying it was unnecessary because they would not build without a source of water.

The measure was not acted on before Kane gave up his council seat and lost a bid for mayor in 2006.

The current version of the bill says an applicant for a land-use approval must identify a long-term supply of water that must be supported with substantial evidence, including a water quality assessment verified by the county water director.

"It seems to me no developer would want to develop a project without a long-term source of water," said John Duey, a resident who testified in favor of the bill.

Earthjustice attorney Isaac Moriwake said the proposal follows the model in California, where it's called the "Show Me the Water" law.

Predictions that the law would stop development were wrong, he said. "It hasn't brought development to a grinding halt."

Instead, the bill integrates water resources in the planning of development - something that is lacking and needed in Maui County and the rest of the state, according to Moriwake.

Both Moriwake and Lucienne de Naie of Maui Tomorrow said the bill's benefits include protecting the county from losing its water resources after approving real estate developments. It also assures developers they'll have water when their projects go forward, they argued.

De Naie commended council members for being "progressive" by "looking at water as a whole."

The measure also would make Maui County accountable by not allowing officials to promise water they can't deliver, she said. Californians familiar with the state's "Show Me the Water" law reported "hidden benefits" of the law, including the encouragement of developers to incorporate water conservation in their plans.

The only concern raised Monday about the bill was about exemptions to the water availability policy and whether small businesses and others would be blocked from developing their properties.

The proposal currently exempts family

subdivisions, affordable housing projects, and building, grading or construction permits.

Claudine San Nicolas can be reached at claudine@mauinews.com.


Posted by Fabienne Gandall on July 4th, 2007 12:44 AMPost a Comment (0)

Did You Know?
May 9th, 2007 4:47 PM

Did You Know?

I am asked a lot of questions by visitors to Maui, the answers to which I've sometimes just discovered!

People are curious... They want to know more about our island paradise...  Wouldn't it be nice to be able to answer them intelligently?

The County of Maui has produced a full-color brochure that they are sending to interested businesses worldwide, hoping to influence new business to locate here.  The publication has beautiful photographs, is well-written and it also has a lot of facts.  Let me give you a few examples.

Maui is 48 miles long and 26 miles wide.  Personally, I thought it was a lot longer than 48 miles.  Take the one trip to Hana in East Maui and you'll swear it's a lot longer.

The average low temperature at Kahului Airport is 67.4 degrees and the average high is 83.7.  I am asked this question a lot.  Since there are so many areas where it is cooler or warmer. the airport is probably a good reference point.

Want an easy question?  What's the biggest industry on Maui?  If you guessed tourism, you are right.  That may seem rather obvious.  But what is the second-biggest industry?  Pineapple? Sugar? Wrong!  It is high-technology.  Maui has evolved into a growing high-tech center that could mean higher-paying jobs and environmentally friendly businesses for us in the future.  To me that's really exciting.

...more in a few days!


Posted by Fabienne Gandall on May 9th, 2007 4:47 PMPost a Comment (0)

Here is where Mauian Realtors come from!!!
April 9th, 2007 9:32 PM

Posted by Fabienne Gandall on April 9th, 2007 9:32 PMPost a Comment (0)

New Residential Project in North Kihei filed with the County by A&B Properties
March 15th, 2007 5:34 PM

Alexander & Baldwinn (A&B) files for a new residential project in Kihei

With improved traffic flow expected at the new intersection of Mokulele and Piilani highways, the famous highway I was talking about in my very first blog, A&B Properties is proposing long-range residential development of 93 acres in North Kihei (South Maui). 68 acres would be developped in multifamily units, 25 acres in single-family residences and 1.4 acres in commercial space for a total of 600 units.

This may take some time though as A&B must first petition for land reclassification from "Agricultural" (actually it is all covered with sugar canes) to "Urban". 

The development's entrance would be near the newly reconfigured intersection of Mokulele (coming from the airport towards S.Maui) and Piilani hwy. (the one parallel to the ocean in S.Maui).  It has been said that the new intersection will have enhanced "capacity and efficiency" .  For the moment, the 4-way intersection controlled by a traffic signal is a bottleneck for motorists, particularly during morning and afternoon rush hours.   A flood plain analysis has been done for the project area and the study is under review by the Federal Emergency Management Administration. 

Mr. Grant Chun, President of A&B has asked the Maui General Plan Advisory Committee to consider designating the property for residential development as part of the ongoing update of the County General Plan and Community Plans because actually is is not within the County Special Management Area.

The time frame for development of the project depends on how long it will take to make its way through the State and County Land Use approval processes.


Posted by Fabienne Gandall on March 15th, 2007 5:34 PMPost a Comment (0)

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