REPORT TITLE:
Heliport, West Maui


DESCRIPTION:
Authorizes the development of a heliport on the Olowalu Sanitary
Landfill site to service the West Maui area.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           2143
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC LANDS.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the West Maui
 
 2 community has often been isolated by brushfires, high waves, and
 
 3 major traffic accidents which have closed Honoapiilani Highway.
 
 4 When the highway is closed, incoming visitors cannot get to the
 
 5 hotels in Maui's most popular resort area, and departing visitors
 
 6 cannot get to the airport for their flights and are sometimes
 
 7 stranded for days.  The closing of the highway means lost
 
 8 business to the community and inconvenience for workers, and
 
 9 creates a health and safety concern for a community which lacks a
 
10 major medical facility.  
 
11      During the closing of Honoapiilani Highway, traffic is
 
12 rerouted through Kahakuloa on a road which is narrow and poorly
 
13 paved.  The options for improvements to Honoapiilani Highway that
 
14 are being considered are costly with no certainty that they will
 
15 prevent West Maui from being cut off again.  Further, the
 
16 residents of Kahakuloa oppose the widening and paving of the road
 
17 around Kahakuloa.  
 
18      The Maui visitor industry is working with the State and
 
19 county to develop a plan to deal with the closing of the highway
 

 
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                                     S.B. NO.           2143
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 during fires, high waves, and major accidents.  The plan may
 
 2 include actions to help visitors to fly out of Kapalua Airport or
 
 3 possibly using a ferry from Lahaina Harbor.  Medical emergencies,
 
 4 however, are best handled through an air medical service.
 
 5      The legislature finds that transportation alternatives have
 
 6 to be developed for the West Maui community to deal with
 
 7 emergencies when the Honoapiilani Highway is closed.  The
 
 8 legislature further finds that a heliport can be used to provide
 
 9 emergency medical services and can be used, in addition to other
 
10 alternatives being discussed such as air passenger service from
 
11 Kapalua and a ferry, to shuttle people from West Maui.
 
12 Helicopter operations, however, are not permitted at the Kapalua
 
13 Airport, and the private heliport in West Maui no longer exists.
 
14      The county of Maui has expressed support for the development
 
15 of a heliport in West Maui to provide services to deal with the
 
16 situations cited above.
 
17      The legislature further finds that a heliport can be
 
18 developed at the former Olowalu sanitary landfill site, which was
 
19 set aside by executive order to the county of Maui, to provide
 
20 emergency medical services and fire safety service, as well as
 
21 passenger service.  Although the landfill has been closed, the
 
22 county of Maui, under the executive order, is still responsible
 
23 for any loss or injury arising out of the landfill operation.
 

 
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                                     S.B. NO.           2143
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 Revenues from the leasing of portions of the landfill site can be
 
 2 used by the county to reduce its costs in maintaining the site.
 
 3 Further, such a facility, which will serve a public purpose, can
 
 4 be privately developed without the expenditure of state or county
 
 5 funds.
 
 6      The legislature finds and determines that the development of
 
 7 a heliport at the former Olowalu sanitary landfill site is in the
 
 8 public interest and constitutes a valid public purpose.
 
 9      SECTION 2.  Notwithstanding any provision of chapter 171,
 
10 Hawaii Revised Statutes, or any county ordinance to the contrary,
 
11 the county of Maui may lease by negotiation and without recourse
 
12 to public auction and enter into a development agreement with a
 
13 private developer or developers for applicable portions of the
 
14 area designated as the Olowalu sanitary landfill for the
 
15 development of a heliport as an ancillary use to provide
 
16 emergency medical services, fire safety services, other public
 
17 safety services, and passenger services.
 
18      The leasing of portions of the land designated as the
 
19 Olowalu sanitary landfill shall not relieve the county of the
 
20 duty to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the State of Hawaii
 
21 against any loss, liability, claim, or demand for damage or
 
22 injury arising out of the landfill activity by the county.
 

 
 
 
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                                     S.B. NO.           2143
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
 
 2 
 
 3                       INTRODUCED BY:  ___________________________