Officials say alternative Site D was studied but has constraints; switching would restart planning

Planning consultant Mark Roy and county staff summarized a feasibility study of alternative sites for the Haiku Fire Station. Mr. Roy said Site D and other options were analyzed for access to Hana Highway, parcel size, infrastructure availability, and land-ownership constraints. He told the committee the study supported the currently proposed site as preferred because it already fits multiple land-use entitlements and offers suitable highway access.

Mr. Roy and staff said selecting Site D, which is state-owned, would require new pre-design work, a new environmental assessment (EA), and separate planning applications (Maui Island Plan amendment, district boundary amendment, community plan amendment and zoning changes) and that the county would effectively restart the project timeline if it pursued that alternative. Committee members asked whether operational concerns from the fire chief about Site D's water-tank placement and acquisition complexities were still relevant.