About the Project

The Central Maui Community Plan (the Community Plan) is a community-specific land use plan that provides guidance on future development and preservation of Central Maui over a 20-year period. With a focus on land use and development, the updated Community Plan will help bring to life the community’s vision for the future of Central Maui. The Community Plan will guide what future development within the Community Plan area should look like and provide recommendations for

• future land use,
• how people move within and through the area,
• parks and greenways, and
• infrastructure expansion and development.

The Planning Department will develop the Central Maui Community Plan Map with community input. The Community Plan Map will guide the types of development envisioned within each area and future zoning that will implement the uses. The Community Plan Map will also guide how new development will look and feel, including the density of development and the general types of uses that are allowed (e.g. housing, businesses, etc.)

The County will use the Central Maui Community Plan as a guide in developing annual and capital improvement program budgets, reviewing proposed development projects, updating or revising existing regulations and zoning, and establishing new programs and initiatives impacting the Central Maui Community Plan area.

The Central Maui Community Plan will shape future growth and the character of future development within towns and neighborhoods. The Plan will guide the development or revitalization of the areas where you live, work, shop and play. The Plan will also guide decisions on protection of critical environmental and cultural resources. This is an opportunity for residents to have their voices heard and to influence the future vision of their own community.

The planning period for Community Plans is 20 years. The Central Maui Community Plan was last updated in 2002, so it is due for an update in order to reflect the current and anticipated conditions in Central Maui and to address area-specific challenges and opportunities facing residents.

The process to update the Central Maui Community Plan is taking place in six phases:

• Phase I Research and Preparation (2023-2024)
• Phase II Public Engagement (2023-2025)
• Phase III Plan Drafting (2024-2025)
• Phase IV Community Plan Advisory Committee Meetings (2025)
• Phase V Maui Planning Commission Review (2025-2026)
• Phase VI Maui County Council Approval (2026-2027)

Each phase includes opportunity for public feedback. We are working diligently to meet these target dates.

Maui County Planning Department staff and our consultants, Raimi and Associates, will work with the Central Maui community, other County and State departments, and appointed and elected officials to update the Plan. Maui residents, business owners, and land owners are encouraged to be involved throughout the process.

You can get involved in every step of the process by participating in surveys, interviews, community design workshops, public hearings and informational meetings. The community planning process also facilitates public participation through a dedicated website, social media, email, newspaper, and other types of communication.

Contact the Planning Department at 808-270-7214 or wearecentralmaui@mauicounty.gov to get involved and access the latest information. You can also sign up for our Email List for project information and updates. We look forward to hearing from you.

A Community Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC) is appointed for each Community Plan area when that area’s plan is being updated. Committee members must be residents of the Community Plan area and are appointed to provide resident input in the planning process. CPAC members provide guidance on local issues that influence the physical, social, and economic development of their community and are charged with reviewing and recommending revisions to the Community Plan. A total of 13 CPAC members are appointed by the Mayor and the County Council. Four are appointed by the Mayor and nine are appointed by the County Council.

If you are interested in becoming a Community Plan Advisory Committee member please contact either the Mayor’s Office (808) 270-7855 or the Office of Council Services (808) 270-7838.

Your voice and feedback are important for updating the Central Maui Community Plan. Public input will be incorporated throughout this process and will inform the draft that Planning Department staff will prepare for the CPAC. Data will be compiled summarizing the feedback received from the community and public engagement summaries will be posted to the website. Plan priorities will be guided by the results of public engagement.

Community Plans will include an implementation program which identifies specific programs, projects, and regulations that should be pursued over the 20-year planning period to bring the Plan’s vision, goals, and policies to life. The implementation program identifies the priority, the timing, the lead County department, the estimated cost, and the potential funding sources for each action in the Plan.

Community Plans will be implemented in four primary ways:

1. County departments will use Community Plans to guide the development of their annual operating budget for specific programs and projects, as well as their six-year capital improvement program (CIP) budget for infrastructure improvements;
2. The Planning Department and other County departments will use Community Plans to inform project-specific changes in zoning, general changes to the zoning code, or other County ordinances;
3. The Planning Department will review development project applications and permits for consistency with Community Plans; and
4. County departments will partner with other public, non-profit, and private organizations to implement a number of the Community Plans’ actions.

Community Plans’ recommendations for publicly funded roads, sidewalks, bike paths, water, wastewater and solid waste infrastructure, local drainage improvements, community parks, and other county public facilities (police and fire stations, government offices etc.) will be included by county departments in their annual capital improvement budgets to the extent practicable. It is important to remember that county departments cannot build or improve unaffordable public infrastructure and facilities, so the more realistic recommendations are, the more likely they are to be prioritized and funded.

Community input on prioritizing actions is essential to developing a plan that meets the community’s vision for its future. Your feedback on plan priorities is welcome at all stages of the process to update the Community Plan. You can attend – either in-person or virtually (when available) – the Community Plan public engagement events and the Community Plan Advisory Committee meetings. Staying engaged throughout the Community Plan review and adoption process by the Maui Planning Commission and Maui County Council helps ensure that the plan is a reflection of the vision and values of the community it represents.

The Central Maui Community Plan will include a monitoring and evaluation program to track plan implementation, evaluate the effectiveness of plan policies and programs, and measure progress towards achieving the Community Plan’s vision and goals. The Planning Department prepares an annual Implementation Report, which is shared with the County Council and community.

Short Answer: Generally, the zoning code addresses the present use and development on a property, while the community plan designations give guidance for future use and development. The community plan designations guide zoning changes for properties. Zoning regulates many specific aspects of development including size, height, setbacks and other aspects of development. Community plan designations are more general and guide the overall character and function of an area.

Long Answer: Community Plan Maps illustrate the desired long-range land use pattern for the 20-year planning period. The Community Plan land use designations represent the community’s future vision. They are intended to be general in nature and less detailed and prescriptive regarding land use than the zoning districts which implement them. Learn more about community plan designations here.

The County regulates the physical development and use of property through zoning. While Community Plans may provide specific recommendations for changes to the county’s zoning ordinances, Community Plans do not have the same legal effect as the County’s zoning ordinances. The zoning code states what kind of specific uses (commercial, residential, industrial, etc.) are allowed. It also specifies how tall buildings can be and how far they must be setback from each side of each property. The County’s zoning ordinances are found in Title 19 of the Maui County Code. Changes to the zoning code require a public process that is separate from the Community Plan adoption process.

Community Plans are both guidance and law. Each Community Plan is a long-term guide for development in its region and a vision of where the community wants to be in the future. Each Community Plan is law because it is adopted by the County Council by ordinance. Community Plans are regulatory in several specific instances, including applications for changes in zoning, Special Management Area permits, County Special Use Permits, and subdivisions. Projects applying for these approvals are required to be consistent with the Community Plan’s policies and generalized land use designations.

The Maui Island Plan establishes a vision for the entire island along with policies to guide future development. It also establishes growth boundaries, which show where future urban and rural development and infrastructure expansion will occur.

The Central Maui Community Plan will focus on development within Central Maui’s urban and rural growth boundaries. The Plan will guide what future development within the Community Plan area should look like. It will also provide guidance for future land use; vehicular, bus, bike and pedestrian circulation; location of open space and parks; and infrastructure expansion and development.

Directed growth maps in the Maui Island Plan show the growth boundaries for each Community Plan area and identify where future development will occur across the island through 2030. The growth boundaries accommodate projected future growth in a manner that provides for jobs and housing needs, while protecting environmental, agricultural, scenic, and cultural resources. The growth boundaries encourage a more predictable development pattern, providing residents, landowners, and developers a better understanding of where the island’s communities will grow. The growth boundaries help County departments provide services and infrastructure to these areas in a more timely and affordable way.

The Planning Department is coordinating with other County and State departments throughout the process to update the Community Plan by gathering the most accurate and up-to-date information. To help ensure the success of the Plan in becoming reality, other County and State departments will be asked to participate in the Central Maui Community Plan Advisory Committee meetings, Maui Planning Commission meetings, and County Council meetings when relevant chapters are discussed. This interagency collaboration will inform realistic expectations and recommendations.

The updated Central Maui Community Plan will recognize appropriate recommendations provided in other plans and support them without duplicating or contradicting them.