By Benjamin Finnerty (S), REALTOR® (RS-83812) with Keller Williams Realty Maui · Kīhei, Maui · 808-481-9748

Quick Answer: As of October 2026, the South Maui Community Plan, which will replace the 1998 Kīhei-Mākena Community Plan, is still in Maui County Council committee review. Committee Chair Tamara Paltin has said the review will likely continue into the next Council term, after the November 3, 2026 election. The plan itself approves no individual development projects.

I’m Benjamin Finnerty, a REALTOR® in Kīhei with Keller Williams Realty Maui, and South Maui condos and homes are a big part of my focus. The South Maui Community Plan is the long-range rulebook for where and how Kīhei, Wailea, Mākena and Māʻalaea can grow, so its slow path through the Council matters to anyone buying, selling or holding property here. Here’s where it stands and what I’d watch.

What is the South Maui Community Plan?

It’s the legal blueprint that guides long-term growth in South Maui, covering housing, land use, transportation and infrastructure. The draft will replace the Kīhei-Mākena Community Plan, which was last updated in 1998.

Work on the update began in 2020. A resident advisory committee finished its recommendations in November 2023, and the Maui Planning Commission then reviewed the draft and accepted a number of Planning Department amendments. Since September 2026, the Council’s Disaster Recovery, International Affairs and Planning Committee, chaired by Council member Tamara Paltin, has been reviewing it section by section. That review included site inspections in North Kīhei and an evening public meeting at the Kīhei Community Center on Monday, September 14, 2026.

Why is the South Maui Community Plan update delayed?

The short answer: there’s a lot left to review, and an election in between. In late September, the committee had not yet reached Section 3, the growth-boundary framework, and Paltin said the review would likely continue “into next term,” according to Maui Now. Civil Beat reported on October 2, 2026 that Paltin plans to hold off on votes over controversial amendments, noting they could be “undone later” depending on the election.

Testimony has focused on a few recurring issues:

• Water. In an August 2026 letter, the County Department of Water Supply said the Central Maui system that serves South Maui is at 98% to 100% of its maximum reliable capacity, with no additional source capacity available.
• Roads and evacuation. Piʻilani Highway and South Kīhei Road are the two main routes connecting South Maui to the rest of the island. The planned North-South Collector Road extension, a bypass east of Piʻilani Highway, is part of the discussion.
• Flooding and drainage. Residents raised chronic flooding, and developers’ representatives raised concerns about how strict drainageway rules should be.
• Workforce housing language. Attorneys for developers asked the committee to soften some “required” workforce-housing language to “encourage,” while residents asked for firmer requirements.

Does the South Maui Community Plan approve new housing projects?

No. Planning Director Jacky Takakura told the committee the plan is “not an approval for individual development projects.” Any project still needs its own zoning, Special Management Area permits where they apply, subdivision approval and building permits.

The plan does set the framework, though. Here’s how the numbers discussed at the Council compare, as of September 2026:

South Maui item	Figure discussed at Council
Plan being replaced	1998 Kīhei-Mākena Community Plan
Full-time residents (2020 Census)	About 29,000
Forecast additional residents cited in testimony	3,700 to 6,100
Housing units referenced in the draft	About 8,000
Of those, units already approved	About 4,550
Main roads in and out	2 (Piʻilani Highway, South Kīhei Road)
Central Maui water system use (Aug. 2026)	98% to 100% of maximum reliable capacity

Two large projects come up often: Honuaʻula (formerly Wailea 670), which is already approved, and the proposed 652-unit Mākena Mauka project, whose final environmental impact statement was accepted in August 2026. The draft also identifies a Mauka North Kīhei Planned Growth Area that the committee inspected in September.

How could the November 2026 election affect the South Maui Community Plan?

It could change who votes on the final version. Maui County’s general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and Paltin has said she expects the review to carry into the next term. A new Council could revisit amendments, so I wouldn’t treat any single committee vote this fall as the last word.

My Take: What I’m Telling South Maui Buyers and Sellers

When I walk a property with a buyer, I look at the water meter, how close the property is to vacant land parcels, the general condition of the surrounding area, and how you get into and out of the area. The South Maui Community Plan debate is about exactly those things on a regional scale: water capacity, open land that could be developed, and two main roads. So for buyers, I’d make the draft plan map (posted at southmaui.wearemaui.org) part of due diligence, especially in North Kīhei and anywhere mauka of Piʻilani Highway, and I’d drive both Piʻilani Highway and South Kīhei Road at the times you’d actually use them.

For buyers of vacant land or homes needing new water service, the Department of Water Supply’s capacity letter is the line I’d read twice. Ask early about water availability for any plan that depends on a new meter or added fixtures, and get it in writing before your contingencies end.

For sellers, the plan doesn’t change your parcel’s zoning, and it doesn’t approve or deny projects next door. But buyers are reading the same news you are. If your property is near a planned growth area or the North-South Collector Road route, I’d rather address it up front in your disclosures and marketing than have it surprise a buyer in escrow.

And for everyone: the plan is likely to keep moving into 2027. I’ll keep watching the committee and will update my clients as votes happen.

If you’re comparing areas, my Kīhei real estate guide, my guide to Wailea and Mākena and my post on commuting on Maui cover the day-to-day side.

This is general information, not tax or legal advice; confirm with a CPA or Hawaiʻi attorney.

Frequently Asked Questions

What areas does the South Maui Community Plan cover?
Kīhei, Wailea, Mākena and Māʻalaea. It replaces the 1998 Kīhei-Mākena Community Plan.

When will the South Maui Community Plan be adopted?
There’s no final vote scheduled as of October 19, 2026. The committee chair has said the review will likely continue into the next Council term.

Does a community plan change my property’s zoning?
No. Community plan designations guide future decisions, but zoning is a separate legal designation. Check both for any parcel you’re considering.

Where can I read the draft South Maui Community Plan?
The draft is posted at southmaui.wearemaui.org, and Council committee agendas and testimony options are on the County Council’s website.

Will the plan add new housing in South Maui?
The plan doesn’t approve units. The draft references about 8,000 units, roughly 4,550 of which were already approved, and each new project still needs its own permits.

Ask Benjamin

If you’re looking at a property in Kīhei, Wailea, Mākena or Māʻalaea and want to know how the draft plan treats the land around it, I’m Benjamin Finnerty, and I’m happy to go through the maps with you. Call or text 808-481-9748 or email benjamin@the808team.com.

Sources: Maui County Council (press release, Sept. 11, 2026); Maui Now (Aug. 26, Sept. 19, Sept. 23 and Oct. 19, 2026); Honolulu Civil Beat (Oct. 2, 2026); County of Maui Department of Water Supply (Aug. 2026 letter, as reported by Maui Now).