Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Wailea Lands Published Includes
First Workforce Housing Units in Wailea Resort Community
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the completion of the master-planned Wailea Resort community and a neighboring lot in Kīhei was published today. Although zoned for 2137 residential units, the Ledcor Maui project proposes construction of a maximum of 975 residential homes, which includes the resort community’s first workforce housing units. The draft reflects 14-months of work and research into the project area by a range of experts and includes numerous technical studies covering a comprehensive range of topics from archaeology to traffic.
Only residential uses are being considered. Commercial or short-term rental uses are not included in the plans, despite some allowance of zoning for these uses. The proposed activities included in the DEIS are consistent with the Maui Island Plan and both the current, and proposed, South Maui Community Plans.
The state mandated public comment period of 45 days ends on April 8, 2024. Comments received during the public comment period will be included and addressed in the Final EIS. The DEIS and instructions for commenting are available at www.ledcorsouthmauipermitting.com.
“Our team put many months of research and analysis into responding to the community input we received during the scoping period. This resulting DEIS is a thorough and extensive document, and we are pleased to share it with the community,” said Eric Gerlach, senior vice president of Ledcor Maui. “We encourage everyone to read the DEIS and provide comments. The EIS process allows for a more holistic approach, which is helping us better define our overall planning options.”
The project would bring workforce housing under Maui County Code 2.96 to the Wailea Resort community for the first time. This housing would be positioned for Wailea’s local workforce and provide much needed relief for Maui’s affordable housing shortage.
“The need for affordable housing on Maui is critical. The EIS process helped us to identify and include Wailea’s first workforce housing site under the current code,” Gerlach continued. “We are aiming for LEED Silver certification to demonstrate our commitment to implementing Hawai‘i’s sustainability goals. We are also developing a robust stewardship plan that honors and protects significant cultural resources.”
The project represents the last components of Wailea’s master plan, which extends as far back as 1973.
“Ledcor Maui has been a community-minded landowner,” said Bud Pikrone, general manager of Wailea Community Association. “We look forward to their commitment for enhanced and safer pedestrian connectivity, workforce housing for the local workers, the planned expansion of the Kilohana / Pi‘ilani intersection, and other project related benefits.”
Community advocates are enthusiastic about the progress on the project. “I’m excited that Ledcor Maui has moved forward with this project and has the wherewithal to complete the work in the next 15 to 20 years. We need housing of all kinds on Maui, and the inclusion of workforce housing in Wailea is important to the local workers in that area,” said Bruce Uʻu, executive director of Maui Nui Empowered. “I’ve seen what Ledcor can do. They keep their commitments. They are fair to workers and contractors. We need this investment in Maui, which will help generate jobs and much needed income for our county.”
For more information, including an informational video on how to provide comments, visit https://bit.ly/LedcorDEIS (case sensitive) or scan the QR code. Comments can be submitted online at the website or by mail to: David Goode at Ledcor Maui LP, 590 Līpoa Parkway Suite 259, Kīhei, HI 96753 or Kimi Yuen at PBR Hawai‘i, 1001 Bishop Street Suite 650, Honolulu, HI 96813. Comments are being accepted through April 8, 2024.