Views on Lahaina rebuild divided as council considers nonconforming structures, STRs

LAHAINA (HawaiiNewsNow) – A debate is growing over the rules for rebuilding Lahaina and retaining its historic charm.
Maui County councilmembers are considering what kinds of destroyed structures should be rebuilt as they were.
The Council Housing and Land Use Committee held its meeting discussing these topics on Wednesday.
One key issue is whether to include vacation rentals on the list of structures that could be rebuilt the way they were before the fire.
Many of Lahaina’s structures, built decades ago, no longer meet current building codes.
BILL 105 would grant exemptions for things like height and density requirements to these nonconforming buildings, especially historic ones along Front Street.
West Maui Councilmember Tamara Paltin added an amendment that would exclude Transient Vacation Rentals (TVRs) also known as short-term rentals (STRs) from this list.
The committee heard passionate testimony from both sides.
“Allowing TVRs to return would not only contradict the community’s wishes, but it would also compete for essential resources like contractors and water allocations, which are already stretched thin. We need to focus on long-term housing solutions such as owner-occupied and repopulating our local community, not short-term vacation rentals that drive up housing costs and contribute to the displacement of local families,” said Katie Austin who supports the amendment.
“How am I supposed to keep working two and a half jobs? I’m actually going to go interview for a third nighttime job so I can pay that $3,550 – that’s just for rent,” said Cynthia Morris, another supporter of the amendment.
“The focus remains on long-term housing for locals, instead of opening the door too quickly to short-term rentals. Short-term rentals could directly compete with the rebuilding efforts of long-term housing,” said Jordan Ruidas, who also supports amendment.
Short-term vacation rental owners and their supporters fought back saying the amendment is not fair.
“I just don’t think it’s right. We didn’t buy it to cash in. We didn’t buy it for things other than it helped supplement our kids’ preschool tuition, Sacred Hearts. It actually allowed me to be engaged in the community and volunteer my time. I didn’t have to go look for a second job,” said Sne Patel, who opposes amendment.
“Penalizing locals who have paused hosting short-term rentals for the past year in order to house displaced residents long term, and for many, the supplemental income that we heard before is really important now more than ever,” said Alex Folsom with Airbnb.
“If it’s not allowed to come back, I will lose my home. I’ve lost my home, but I will not have the ability to rebuild,” said Tanna Swanson who lives in the STR she owns in Wahikuli.
While the vacation rental issue was the focus of the debate, some testifiers said no nonconforming structures should be exempt from current building codes.
Councilmembers decided to defer this bill until further notice so they can learn more about the consequences.
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