Don Harris, Realtor Salesperson 79143, Keller Williams Realty Maui

06/05/2026

Aloha,

This morning at 9am HST, the Maui County Council will be meeting to cover a full agenda including 32 items. Bill 88 is currently the 11th item on the schedule. I will update this post with only the Bill 88 information since the other items don't concern the Minatoya STRs.

Here is the docket description:

"Recommending FIRST READING of Bill 88, CD1 (2026), to amend the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance to establish the H-3 and H-4 Hotel Districts, which would be reserved for units or structures that had been in the A-1 and A-2 Apartment Districts, respectively, and where Transient Vacation Rentals had been permitted uses."

Just a reminder, this Bill does not identify any specific Minatoya Condos (TIG Exhibit 2) for automatic rezoning to H3H4. It also does not exclude any Minatoya condos from eventually rezoning to H3H4 zoning. The Bill only creates new H3H4 Zones. If you choose to testify, please only discuss why you think they should create the new H3H4 zones.

You can go to https://mauicounty.portal.civicclerk.com/event/1378/overview to download the agenda and watch / testify via the county Teams Link.

You can also watch it live on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/

06/04/2026

Proposed Kaiaulu O Napili Workforce Housing Project. 153 total units of 100% affordable housing on 15 acres including single family homes, multi-family apartments, and senior apartments.

This should be the focus for local housing instead of attempting to take the old and expensive Minatoya condos.

06/04/2026

Permitting Reform Bills Aim to Speed Up Housing Construction

A handful of bills passed by the Legislature this year focus on reforming Hawaiʻi's permitting processes to speed up housing construction, including measures to address a chronic shortage of permitting staff at the state and county levels.

(link in comments)

06/03/2026

Coqui Frogs: Is Haʻikū The New Hilo? Locals Try To Stop The Spread

Frustrated residents say they face a nearly impossible task in stopping the amphibians, as the under-resourced county group tasked with combating invasive species focuses on other priorities.

At night, the forests of Hilo come alive with the cacophonous shrieks of the coqui frog, much to the chagrin of neighbors pining for peace and quiet. Folks in Haʻikū worry they’ll be the next victims.

Coqui frogs hail from Puerto Rico and have vexed Maui for more than 20 years after arriving as hitchhikers on potted plants arriving from Big Island. The frogs are spreading in Haʻikū, where residents have been told that the island’s five-person coqui team has its hands too full to provide much help.

It’s a problem that money can’t solve. Pest control won’t touch this one. Now, neighbors are on their own — and they’re getting creative.

Frustrated residents say they face a nearly impossible task in stopping the amphibians, as the under-resourced county group tasked with combating invasive species focuses on other priorities.

06/03/2026

A lot that once held a home destroyed in the August 2023 Maui wildfires is now the site of something new: the first-ever mass timber home in Habitat for Humanity’s global history.

The Bunkhouse, currently under construction in Lahaina, is designed by Hawaiʻi Off-Grid Architecture + Engineering (HIOG) and will serve as a staff house for volunteers coming to help rebuild the community. David Sellers, AIA, Principal of HIOG and a member of Habitat for Humanity Maui’s Board of Directors, led the design with support from WoodWorks.

The structure uses Veneer Laminated Timber walls and glue laminated timber roof panels, all dimensioned around a four-foot module that allows for termite treatment before installation, efficient shipping to Maui, and rapid on-site assembly. That flat-pack logic is the point. HIOG designed the Bunkhouse as a proof of concept for prefabricated mass timber construction as a tool for building affordable, resilient housing faster and at lower cost.

More

05/29/2026

OPEN HOUSE TODAY IN KAPALUA!!
May 29th - 1pm to 5pm!!

Kapalua Golf Villas 14V3-4
$1,390,000 fee simple

https://account.pacificshoots.com/500-Kapalua-Dr-14V34

The views are spectacular and peaceful from the Vista level at Kapalua Golf Villas! This beautifully appointed single floor, 2 bed / 2 bath condo exudes a quiet and luxurious aura boasting a spacious floor plan with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, beautiful cabinetry, stylish furniture and central AC. Located above one of the on-site pools, Unit 14V3-4 overlooks the Kapalua Bay Golf Course with views to the ocean and Molokai across the channel. The Kapalua Golf Villas are conveniently located close to hiking trails, golf, tennis, pickleball, dining, and, of course, world famous Kapalua beaches. It doesn't get better than Kapalua Golf Villas 14V3-4. Come see your new home away from home in paradise!

This property is zoned A-2.

05/27/2026

OPEN HOUSE TODAY IN KAPALUA!!
May 27th, 28th, 29th
1pm to 5pm!!

Kapalua Golf Villas 14V3-4
$1,390,000 fee simple

https://account.pacificshoots.com/500-Kapalua-Dr-14V34

The views are spectacular and peaceful from the Vista level at Kapalua Golf Villas! This beautifully appointed single floor, 2 bed / 2 bath condo exudes a quiet and luxurious aura boasting a spacious floor plan with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, beautiful cabinetry, stylish furniture and central AC. Located above one of the on-site pools, Unit 14V3-4 overlooks the Kapalua Bay Golf Course with views to the ocean and Molokai across the channel. The Kapalua Golf Villas are conveniently located close to hiking trails, golf, tennis, pickleball, dining, and, of course, world famous Kapalua beaches. It doesn't get better than Kapalua Golf Villas 14V3-4. Come see your new home away from home in paradise!

This property is zoned A-2.

05/27/2026

One step closer to sanity...

The Maui County Council’s Housing and Land Use Committee voted 6-1 Tuesday to advance new hotel zoning districts for thousands of short-term vacation rentals facing a county-mandated phase-out—overriding unanimous rejection from all three county planning commissions.

05/27/2026

State Farm ending hurricane coverage for single-wall rental homes

State Farm has stopped renewing hurricane policies on single-wall, wooden houses that are rented in Hawaii, a move the company said is aimed at reducing its risk in a disaster.

The decision affects thousands of rental homes because State Farm is the dominant insurer in Hawaii’s market.

05/26/2026

“It can take years – even decades – for some people to save the money it takes to make a down payment on a home,” said Lee Wang, Executive Director of Housing Hawai‘i’s Future. “This bill gives young people hope. It gives them a better chance to stay here, to raise a family here.”