Maui committee recommends accepting state interest in Kihei street remnant, clears way for abandonment as county highway

The Maui County Water and Infrastructure Committee voted 6-0 on Oct. 6 to recommend adoption of Resolution 25-177, authorizing the county to accept any interest the State of Hawaii may have in the Ala Liki Ka'onoulou Street remnant lot in Kihei and to abandon the parcel as a county public highway.

The vote advances a long-running effort to clear title and enable future transfer or reuse of the remnant, which abuts the Jewish Congregation of Maui Inc. and the Maui Bay Villas. Committee members described the acceptance and abandonment as an early but necessary step before the county can transfer the parcel or otherwise repurpose it for community uses such as parking or access improvements.

Chair Tom Cook opened the discussion by describing the measure: "Resolution 25-177 authorizes acceptance of the state's interest in Ala Liki Ka'onoulou Street Remnant Lot and abandonment of the lot as a county public highway," and said the abandonment is proposed because the parcel is "no longer needed for roadway purposes." He told members the remnant was created during construction of the Kauna'ulu Estates subdivision in 1989 and that the piece has been the subject of planning and council consideration in recent years.

Deputy Corporation Counsel Caleb Roe confirmed that the action before the committee is limited to accepting the state's interest and abandoning the parcel as a county highway, and not the final transfer to a private party. Roe said, "I did transmit a signed copy to the committee ... so I have signed off on it." Director Marcy Martin, Department of Finance, added, "We're here to assist you where we can." Real property staff also told the committee the county has been in contact with the neighboring congregation for many years: "We've been in contact with them for the last 15 years working on this," said Guy Horanaka, Real Property Manager.

Vice Chair Yukile Sugimura and several council members said they support the measure. Sugimura said she had visited the site and believed the parcel could be used for parking. Council member Gabe Johnson asked for clarification of the current step; Roe and staff reiterated that the resolution is an acceptance/abandonment action and that any transfer or conveyance would occur in a later, separate process.

The committee substituted an updated CD1 version of Resolution 25-177 before voting. Committee staff said the CD1 corrects a Maui County Code reference and incorporates nonsubstantive technical edits for clarity and style. The substitution and the final recommendation to adopt the resolution as amended both passed by voice votes recorded as "6 ayes, 0 nos." Committee members Tamara Paulton, Kiani Rollins Fernandez and Shane Senencie were excused.

Chair Cook thanked staff and the real property office for the work that led to the committee action, calling it "a milestone" in obtaining a state quitclaim deed and enabling county consideration of future disposition. The committee recorded that the item will advance to the full County Council for final consideration.

Votes at a glance

- Substitute motion to adopt CD1 of Resolution 25-177: passed, 6-0 (members excused noted below). Motion moved by Council Member Yukile Sugimura and seconded by Council Member Nu Hodges (as recorded). The ASF summary says the CD1 corrects a Maui County Code reference and makes non-substantive technical revisions.

- Recommendation to adopt Resolution 25-177 as amended (to go to full council): passed, 6-0. Members Tamara Paulton, Kiani Rollins Fernandez and Shane Senencie were excused.

What the resolution does and next steps

Resolution 25-177 directs the county to accept any state interest in the Ala Liki Ka'onoulou street remnant via quitclaim deed and to abandon the parcel as a county public highway. Committee members and staff repeatedly emphasized that acceptance and abandonment establish clear title and jurisdictional status; any eventual transfer, conveyance, or use (for example, parking for the Jewish Congregation of Maui Inc.) would require additional, separate county actions.

Background and context

The remnant was created during the 1989 Kauna'ulu Estates subdivision. The parcel came up during 2020-2021 zoning and community plan discussions involving the Jewish Congregation of Maui and in a prior Council action: Resolution 24-106 urged the mayor to acquire the roadway remnant for potential use by the congregation. Committee members said the matter has been under periodic review for many years and that the county has been coordinating with the congregation and neighboring property owners.

Officials noted that each roadway remnant can present unique title or physical issues; staff said further steps will be necessary to finalize any transfer or improvements.

Sources and attribution

Statements in this article are drawn from committee remarks and staff comments recorded Oct. 6 during the Maui County Water and Infrastructure Committee meeting. Direct quotes are attributed to committee members and staff who spoke on the record during the agenda item.

Ending

The committee's recommendation now goes to the full Maui County Council for consideration. No timeline for the council hearing or any subsequent transfer was specified during the committee meeting.