Kapalua Coastal Trail Testimony

Submitted by Paul Brown, WMTA Board Member

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Good evening and thank you for the opportunity to speak.

My name is Paul Brown.  I am a resident of Kahana here in West Maui and I’m currently the Executive Director of Kapalua Resort Association, or KRA and a board member of the West Maui Taxpayers Association.

I have two funding requests that I would like to see added to the upcoming budget, funding for repaving Lower Honoapiilani Road from Kahana to Kapalua and funding assistance for the northward extension of the Kapalua Coastal Trail.

I won’t expand too much on the Lower Road repaving issue because I believe that all of the council members and the mayor are familiar with the deplorable and unsafe condition of the road.  At this point, any long term redesign of the road is many years in the future but the need for immediate repaving of the roadway is critical.  Please repave the road and add gravel paths on each side of the roadway easement for the safety of the many locals and visitors that walk and drive this scenic road.

My primary request is for funding assistance for extension of the Kapalua Coastal Trail.  The coastal trail currently begins at Kapalua Bay and ends at D.T. Fleming Beach Park.  The amazing trail provides public access for literally hundreds of people a day along some of the most beautiful coastline on Maui.  The trail was built by Maui Land & Pineapple and is maintained by Kapalua Resort Association.  KRA would like to extend the trail northward from Flemings to Honolua Bay.  The trail design was completed and paid for by MLP and all of the necessary permits were issued although they have expired.

KRA would like to proceed with construction of the next section, from Flemings to Slaughter House bay but doesn’t have funding available to cover the estimated cost of $250,000.  We recently received a pledge from a state trails agency to contribute $30,000 for the project and would like to ask the mayor and the council to earmark $150,000 from the county budget.  KRA will work on finding other funding sources to cover the remainder and KRA will maintain the trail after it is built.  MLP has granted permanent easements for the trail which is on MLP land.

The coastal trail, as well as the other trails in Kapalua are open to the public and in fact over 90% of the trail users are not Kapalua residents or resort guests but residents and visitors from other parts of the island.  Please help us add another section to this beautiful trail.