The property is located makai of Honoapiilani Highway at Alaelae Point between Honokahua Bay and Mokuleia Bay.

WEST MAUI – William E. Engel, the owner of the property located at 6245 Honoapiilani Highway, is seeking approval to dismantle and relocate the existing onsite 1,012-square-foot structure in order to build in its place an approximately 3,498-square-foot, two-story, single-family residence with two-car garage, covered decks, driveway, retaining walls and related landscaping and site amenities.

Chris Hart & Partners prepared a Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) on behalf of Engel, a California resident, in support of the application, and it is published in the most recent edition of The Environmental Notice (Feb. 23).

The property, with sweeping views of the Pacific, is located makai of the highway at Alaelae Point between Honokahua Bay and Mokuleia Bay on the northwest coast of the island within the Special Management Area (SMA) District.

It is currently county-zoned Interim and designated in the West Maui Community Plan as Conservation.

Since the 0.43-acre (18,519-square-foot) parcel is positioned within the State Land Use Conservation District, a Conservation District Use Permit (CDUP) from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is required. As it also lies within the SMA, compliance with the SMA Rules of the Maui Planning Commission and Chapter 205A of the Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) “Coastal Zone Management” is mandated.

Further, county permits must be granted for: 1) Grading/Grubbing from the Department of Public Works and Environmental Management (DPWEM); and 2) Building, Electrical and Plumbing for the structure from the DPWEM.

Moreover, the DLNR has determined that the project must comply with Chapter 343 HRS “Environmental Impact Statements,” since the action is a “major alteration” occurring within the Conservation District.

“Thus,” the Hart report cited, “the Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared in support of these applications to analyze potential impacts of the action.”

Construction of the new residence will be approximately 51 feet from the certified shoreline and outside of both the state and county shoreline setback area.

The fronting coastal zone is described as rocky and hardened.

The property is rich in history and culture, and a Cultural Impact Assessment (CIA) was conducted and prepared by Engledow & Smith for the project in 2016.

It concluded “that this property and the adjacent lot were inhabited by Hawaiians before the first land transactions of the Hawaiian Kingdom were recorded in 1848, and continuously to modern times.”

Additionally, the CIA observed that a documented heiau in the gulch mauka of the highway indicates that habitation may have extended into pre-contact times.

The existing dwelling and carport were built in 1971, and the dismantled residence will be donated to a family in Paia.

According to the DEA, “Based on the foregoing analysis and conclusion, the proposed project will not result in significant impacts to the environment and is consistent with the requirements of HRS Chapter 343, and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is warranted.”

“The proposed action,” the analysis observed, “is not expected to have any adverse impact or destruction upon any natural, historical or cultural resources. The applicant has prepared and submitted an archeological inventory survey (AIS) and an archeological monitoring plan (AMP) to the State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD).”

The DEA is available for review at dlnr.hawaii.gov/occl/files/2013/08/Draft-EA-Engel-Residence.pdf.

The public is invited to submit comments to Kimberly Mills, Board of Land & Natural Resources, 1151 Punchbowl St., Room 131, Honolulu, HI 96813 or Kimberly.mills@hawaii.gov. The deadline is March 28.