The rebuilding of Lahaina in the wake of the 2023 wildfires might not be happening fast, but there are signs that it is inching forward.
The complex web of state and county regulations has significantly hampered that effort — including rules about building in the state’s Special Management Areas, especially along shorelines; preventing the rebuilding structures that don’t meet current zoning ordinances; and forcing the owners of destroyed properties to pay for street and other adjacent infrastructure improvements.
But there is some good news: Maui County lawmakers have been addressing these and other such barriers, making it easier for many of the rebuilding projects to proceed.
Just this week, the Maui County Council’s Water and Infrastructure Committee advanced two bills that are crucial to rebuilding Lahaina: Bill 110, which would exempt structures destroyed by the fires from the usual infrastructure-improvement requirements, and Bill 156, which would waive an ordinance that prohibits “encroachments” into public right-of-ways, such as overhead signs or banners.
The Council is also considering Bill 144, which would extend property tax waivers for properties destroyed in wildfires from July 1, 2026 to July 1, 2028.
My Grassroot Institute of Hawai‘i colleague Jonathan Helton noted in testimony submitted earlier this month to the Council’s Special Committee on Real Property Tax Reform that “further extending … these waivers would help Lahaina homeowners and businesses afford to rebuild in Lahaina town. If the waivers expire next year, many property owners will face the prospect of paying taxes on land they cannot easily — and in some cases, legally — rebuild on.”
Further, the Maui Planning Commission OK’d a proposal earlier this month that would allow greater flexibility in how tall reconstructed buildings can be. If enacted, the bill will give relief to historic structures that were taller than the 30-foot maximum specified by the community plan. That measure now heads to the Maui County Council for consideration.
These might seem like small victories, but they aren’t small to the people who are still struggling to rebuild their homes and businesses.
If we can keep clearing away the regulations that hamper recovery efforts, we might someday see a rebuilt and prosperous Lahaina.
As we at Grassroot like to say: “By the yard, everything is hard. But inch by inch, everything’s a cinch!”
Reprinted with permission from the Oct. 25, 2025 "Presidentʻs Corner" of Grassroot Institute of Hawai‘i President & CEO Keli‘i Akina, Ph.D.
For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter.
