Kihei owners describe repeated flooding, rising HOA and insurance costs and plea to preserve visitor entitlements

Several owners and board members from Kihei condo complexes testified Aug. 5 that repeated flooding, rising insurance costs and repeated special assessments are already harming full‑time residents and limiting options for long‑term residential use.

Peg Kelly, vice president of the Kihei Bay Vista board, described repeated flash floods and personal losses: "I've lost 8 motor vehicles in floods in the last 13 years," she testified, and said HOA fees — including insurance — have risen toward $1,200 a month for some units. Board representatives and owners said they face difficult choices about whether to fund walls or expensive maintenance and said many owners are out‑of‑state investors unlikely to shoulder those costs.

Board members also provided cost figures and mitigation plans. Board representatives reported retaining engineers to assess seawalls and provided exhibit materials with SLRXA mapping. Andrew Church, a Kihei Bay Vista board member and owner, said a recent cleanup cost the association $150,000 and cited an early wall estimate in committee testimony. Members asked clarifying questions about who would pay special assessments, whether HOA ballots had been taken, and whether seawall repairs are an effective long‑term solution for SLRXA‑projected exposure.

Committee members pressed testifiers for documentation and asked owners to keep the committee informed as engineering reviews and mitigation planning proceed. Planning staff repeatedly reminded the committee that permitting (special management area, shoreline setback, SMA) and planning commission review would be required for any seawall or reconstruction work.