Bill 105: Helton urges letting Lahaina churches be rebuilt as they were before '23 fires

from Grassroot Institute

In the old days, Maui residents whose homes, businesses or places of worship were damaged or destroyed by natural disasters could just rebuild and move on with their lives.

But according to Grassroot policy researcher Jonathan Helton, in a Maui News commentary published yesterday, the wildfires that destroyed most of Lahaina in 2023 "occurred in an era in which land-use, zoning and permitting regulations have come to dominate the rebuilding landscape, putting into question the fate of many Lahaina structures, including historic churches and temples."

Helton urged that the Maui County Council approve Bill 105, which would waive for five years the nonconformity rule for churches, temples and anyone else seeking to rebuild in the wake of the Lahaina fires.

"Lahaina was an old town, after all," he wrote, "and many of its buildings had quirks that can’t be rebuilt under current zoning codes. This uniqueness contributed to Lahaina’s charm."

He added: "Should Bill 105 become law, not only would Lahaina’s religious organizations benefit, but nonconforming business and apartment buildings destroyed by the fires could be rebuilt as they were too."

To read the entire article, please go here.

RELATED: Do Lahaina Property Owners Have the Right to Rebuild?

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Maui County Council and mayor OK update of water-fixture rules

from Grassroot Institute

The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii played a major role in bringing attention to how the old rules have been hindering homebuilding

Building homes and making renovations to existing ones — and even wildfire recovery — will soon be easier throughout Maui County, now that Mayor Richard Bissen has signed a bill that was unanimously approved earlier this month by the Maui County Council.

That's the news that Grassroot policy researcher Jonathan Helton conveyed to Maui Now readers on Wednesday in a commentary headlined "Maui plumbing rules headed for much-needed update."

Helton explained that the new law, formerly Bill 146 (2024), directs the Maui Department of Water Supply to update the county’s regulations for water-using appliances — also called water fixtures — for the first time since 1995, based on the latest technological advances in plumbing.

"Maui’s water-fixture limits are outdated and confusing," Helton wrote, "and it’s good the County Council and mayor have decided to reform them."

Sydney Smith, owner of Maliko Estate Coffee and chair of the Maui County Council's Agriculture Working Group, who brought the issue to the attention of Grassroot, wrote to Grassroot Executive Vice President Joe Kent and Grassroot policy researcher Helton shortly after the mayor signed Bill 146 to thank them for Grassroot's efforts on behalf of the measure.

"Thank you so much for your white paper, your support and the TV interview," she said. "It takes a village. Sometimes the village is on another island and in another state! But we did it! It was worth all the late nights and extra hours of work!"