The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Maui County Council on Aug. 27, 2024.
_____________
Aug. 27, 2024, 9 a.m.
Council Chamber, Kalana O Maui Building
To: Maui County Council
Alice Lee, Chair
Yuki Lei Sugimura, Vice-Chair
From: Jonathan Helton, Policy Researcher
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
RE: RESOLUTION 24-143 — REFERRING TO THE LANAI, MAUI, AND MOLOKAI PLANNING COMMISSIONS A PROPOSED BILL AMENDING SECTION 19.35.050, MAUI COUNTY CODE, RELATING TO THE NUMBER OF ACCESSORY DWELLINGS PER LOT
Aloha Chair Lee, Vice-Chair Sugimura and other members of the Council,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports Resolution 24-143, which would refer to the county planning commissions a draft bill proposing that two accessory dwelling units be allowed on all residential lots in the county.
Allowing property owners to build more small homes per lot would help reduce Maui’s housing shortage. These smaller homes could help house aging parents, children looking to return from the mainland, or residents displaced by the August 2023 wildfires. They also could provide owners an extra source of income.
Under the current code, accessory dwellings on the island of Maui are limited to one per lot on lots smaller than 7,500 square feet, and two per lot on lots larger than that. For the islands of Lanai and Molokai, the limit is one accessory dwelling on each lot larger than 7,500 square feet; lots smaller than that cannot have ADUs at all.
The proposed draft bill is similar to Bill 103 (2024), which would allow multiple primary dwellings per lot, and which Grassroot also supports. We would welcome dialogue on the two proposals as they progress.
Thank you for the opportunity to offer our comments.
Jonathan Helton
Policy Researcher
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
