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Consultants present draft commercial design guidelines for Lahaina rebuild; CRC defers for edits
Summary
County planners and Opticos presented draft commercial design guidelines for rebuilding Lahaina’s commercial district, highlighting community input and frontage/architectural guidance; commissioners deferred action to February and asked for written comments by Jan. 15.
County planners and consultant Opticos presented draft commercial design guidelines intended to guide rebuilding in the Lahaina National Historic Landmark District and to streamline Cultural Resources Commission review.
"The design guidelines document that we're sharing today is organized in several parts," Opticos consultant Drew Finke told the commission, summarizing an introduction, detailed commercial guidance and an appendix checklist. He said the process included in‑person workshops and online outreach that produced more than 1,800 comments and emphasized frontage types and four architectural styles found historically in Lahaina.
Commissioners, planning staff and members of the public raised cultural and landscape concerns during a public comment period. Planner Kawika Farm said staff and the consultant had already incorporated many community suggestions and planned a revised draft for the CRC’s February meeting. "We want any comments by January 15 to ensure that we have enough time to update a document and meet all public noticing requirements in advance of the next meeting," Kawika told the commission.
The CRC deferred formal action to allow members time to submit edits and to let staff align the guidelines with parallel work on the Royal Complex master plan. The Commission agreed to accept written feedback for consolidation and to review a revised draft at the next regular meeting.
The Department of Planning emphasized that the guidelines are recommendations (not regulations) intended to help applicants and the CRC assess whether rebuild projects meet historic‑district expectations and Secretary of the Interior standards.
