Council passes temporary moratorium on building permits for new hotels in south, west Maui

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Maui County Council passed a moratorium on building permits for new visitor accommodations in south and west Maui on Friday.

The measure was passed after a 6 to 2 vote.

Lawmakers said the bill was passed in an effort to prioritize environmental sustainability and residents’ quality of life that have been impacted by overtourism on the island.

[Related Coverage: Citing overtourism concerns, Maui lawmakers call for temporary moratorium on new hotels]

With an influx in visitors arriving to the island, lawmakers said they hope this bill can create an opportunity for Maui to reassess its approach tourism.

“While the county doesn’t have the authority to stop airlines from bringing more visitors, it does have authority over building permits and accommodations development,” said Councilmember Kelly Takaya King, who introduced the bill.

[Related Coverage: Maui mayor’s appeal to airlines: At least for now, please bring us fewer visitors]

The bill said visitor accommodations must be limited for an interim period “to preserve the county’s environment, mitigate climate change and work toward resilience.”

“The temporary pause on new visitor accommodations in areas such as Lahaina and Kihei is intended to allow the county time to implement critical long-range plans and provide policy direction for day-to-day decision making to mitigate climate change and work toward resilience,” King said.

Officials said the bill is intended to encourage residents to participate in the process going forward to provide guidance to the local government and the visitor industry.

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