'Country town center' proposed for Pukalani
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui Bureau
KAHULUI, Maui — Maui Land & Pineapple Co. Inc. is proposing to transform 40 acres of former pineapple fields into a "rural country town center'' featuring businesses and shops, housing for senior citizens, office space and light-industrial uses.
The company this week said it intends to prepare an environmental impact statement for the Upcountry Town Center, which would be in a triangle bordered by the Pukalani bypass highway, Makawao Avenue and the old Haleakala Highway.
Planning consultant Norman Hong, vice chairman of Group 70 International Inc., said developing the 40 acres became an option after the Pukalani bypass was built several years ago, cutting the parcel off from the rest of ML&P's pineapple operations.
The company is proposing a development with a "town square'' atmosphere, giving the bedroom community of Pukalani a central gathering place and focal point for festivals and other events, Hong said. The development would include sites for a possible post office, library and satellite county office.
Several meetings with the Pukalani Community Association indicate residents want places to shop and obtain services without having to drive 10 miles to Kahului, he said.
The area already has the Pukalani Terrace Center, whose tenants include Foodland, Bank of Hawai'i, Ace Hardware and Maui Medical Group.
Hong said the ML&P development, as proposed, has potential for a small medical clinic, shops for artisans and space for "very light industrial'' users, such as a carpenter or furniture maker.
An existing business on the site, Waiulu Farms Feed Store & Stables, would be moved to a new location within the parcel, and the adjacent county fire station would not be affected. He added that there have been discussions with Pukalani Superette about moving the market to the center.
A 10-acre corridor of open space that may contain horse and hiking trails would be between the center and the Pukalani bypass.
Before the project can proceed, the company must obtain a number of state and county approvals, including a state Land Use Commission zoning change from agricultural to urban. Hong said he doesn't expect construction to start for another two or three years.
