WAILUKU, Hawaii — The Maui Planning Commission recently approved key updates to Maui’s Special Management Area and Shoreline rules after more than a decade of collaboration between the community and the county. These updates will create more balance and flexibility for homeowners as improvements for coastal resilience are conducted, according to a Maui County news release.

What You Need To Know

  • Created in the early 1970s, the SMA and Shoreline rules addressed shoreline building setbacks in sensitive coastal areas

  • The SMA and Shoreline area rules are reassessed every decade based on erosion rates and the science available

  • Once the new rules go into effect, the public can access the shoreline map on the Dept. of Planning website, and public outreach will be conducted to inform residents of the changes

The commission voted 8-0 on March 28 with one member absent, approving significant changes to the rules.

Created in the early 1970s when climate change was not yet a topic of discussion, the SMA and Shoreline rules addressed shoreline building setbacks in sensitive coastal areas.

“The new rules reflect many years of work from the Maui County Planning Department, the Maui Planning Commission and community working groups,” said County of Maui Planning Director Kathleen Ross Aoki in the release. “The updated SMA and Shoreline rules are more balanced and flexible for homeowners, and incorporate the best available science on sea level rise to bolster coastal resilience.”

The Planning Dept. is processing the updated SMA and Shoreline rules in addition to a map that will help landowners determine whether the shoreline setback line applies to their properties. Both will go to the County Clerk’s Office in about 45 days. Thirty days after that, the rules will go into effect.

Highlights include:

  • New categorical exemptions will allow people to bypass submitting an SMA assessment or permit application if the proposed work has little to no environmental impact.
  • Removes the mandatory requirement of certified shoreline surveys that usually cost thousands of dollars, leaving the decision to the discretion of the department.
  • Reduces the permitting burden for state-required conversion of cesspools.
  • Requires hazard mitigation plans that include the realignment of structures away from the shoreline if existing structures are exposed to coastal hazards.

The Hawaii Sea Level rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report is a 2017 document that guides coastal planning around the state. It urges people to plan for 3.2 feet of sea level rise now, then adjust the projection upward in years to come.

In 2003, Maui County took a science-based planning approach and established shoreline building setbacks based on erosion rates. It’s been successful in drawing new development away from the shoreline, but the existing formula only considers historical erosion and not conditions caused by sea level rise.

Maui County defines the SMA and Shoreline areas as the most sensitive parts of the coastal zone. The SMA, Special Management Area, begins at the shoreline and extends inland to the nearest highway. The Shoreline area is the land between the shoreline and the shoreline setback line. The rules include a detailed definition of the area.

The SMA and Shoreline area rules are reassessed every decade based on erosion rates and the science available. This is the second major update since 2003.

Once the new rules go into effect, the public can access the shoreline map on the Dept. of Planning website and public outreach will be conducted to inform residents of the changes.

“I want to thank everybody that testified and everybody that gave hours to working groups,” Maui Planning Commissioner Kimberly Thayer said during the March 28 meeting. “This was a monumental team effort, truly a team effort, by a significant portion of the community. There was a lot of compromise that happened, which means that everybody got their voices heard and something down in these rules. This is a step forward and a foundation for more.”

Sarah Yamanaka covers events, environmental and community news for Spectrum News Hawaii. She can be reached at sarah.yamanaka@charter.com.