WAILUKU, Maui — Maui developer Peter Martin probably jammed up the north shore coconut wireless this weekend when word spread faster than a Kihei wildfire about his plan to build a campground in Spreckelsville that is intended in part to serve the island's homeless.

Details about the roughly 5-acre nonprofit Hoomoana Campground were so sketchy leading up to the Maui Planning Commission meeting Tuesday morning that the room filled quickly with inquisitive, passionate, and a few tearful, Spreckelsville residents.

Dealing with myriad questions of their own, commissioners deferred a decision until their next meeting Sept. 9 in the Planning Commission Conference Room.

Even after Martin's professional presentation much later Tuesday afternoon, Planning Director Jeff Hunt was among those still wondering exactly what Martin was proposing.

"I screwed up," Martin said when asked by Commission William Iaconetti why he hadn't held any community meetings about his altruistic plans, for which he'd submitted the permit applications a year ago.

"I apologize," said Martin, who added that this will be a safe and secure endeavor that he literally wants built in his own backyard.

Martin said he has set up a foundation with an undisclosed amount of his own money to construct a landscaped 30-spot tent campground in what is now fallow sugar cane fields next to the Kahului Airport runway. The foundation funds would also subsidize operations, but Martin said he wants it to be a mix of homeless people in transition along with camping enthusiasts.

Martin is also part owner of the Olowalu Campground, and after seeing how a similar formula has successfully functioned as a transitional housing situation — with strong on-site management — he said he decided to replicate it from scratch in his own neighborhood.

The former math and science teacher came asking the commission to approve a state Land Use Commission special use permit to build and run the campground. The plans, presented by Munekiyo & Hiraga Inc. of Wailuku, include revitalized agricultural fields, a farmhouse, manager's cottage, parking lot, showers and restrooms on the site makai of Paia Spur Road and mauka of Stable Road - the narrow coastal roadway on which Martin has his home.

The area is surrounded by cane fields and undeveloped acres, most of it owned by Martin. The request is for a one-year special permit.

Martin said if the venture fails to comply with conditions, the commissioners have the right to shut him down. He's willing to take the risk, he said.

"Just give me a chance," Martin said.

It was "the h word" - as several testifiers and a few commissioners phrased it - that had a couple dozen of Martin's Spreckelsville neighbors on edge Tuesday morning. The age-old "not in my backyard" argument was raised as well.

Neighbor Cyrus Monroe testified that he'd just learned about the plans 48 hours before the meeting and suggested putting it in Puunene "rather than someone's neighborhood." Such an ambitious project should be in a central location near a post office, hospital and police and public transportation, he said.

Neighbor Janice King said she felt railroaded by the plan with such little notice and worried aloud about an influx of drugs, crime and trash.

"I'm truly shocked you might bring this blight upon our neighborhood," King said.

Some residents said they deal with the homeless enough already. They expressed new fears for the safety of their children and pets.

Residents told stories about cats being killed by unleashed dogs, finding used needles near homeless camps and their homes and vehicles being repeatedly burglarized. One Spreckelsville woman said a homeless man had exposed himself to her while she was on a walk.

Neighbor Barbara Woods said she didn't want the community to suffer because "Mr. Martin evidently developed a conscience."

Martin and his attorney, Tom Welch, later in the day said this project is intended primarily to serve social needs that are not being met by the government and other local nonprofits.

Prior to Martin's testimony, however, Planning Director Hunt had said he believed the homeless aspect was going to be small part of the equation.

Before voting one way or the other, Hunt and commissioners wanted more specifics, such as a the nonprofit's organization, a prospectus, campground rules, security plans and what percentage of the users will be homeless.

"Is it a campground or is it a homeless shelter," Hunt later asked Martin during his testimony.

Maui Planning Commissioner Kent Hiranaga said he thought if it was to be homeless transition housing, then it shouldn't be called a campground. He also wondered if the designation of homeless transition housing would require an entirely new set of permits from the state departments of health and human services.

But Martin replied that he will be charging people to stay at the campground, whether it's only $1 a head per night. He also said he believes it is important for people not to label his users as homeless.

Martin's supporters called him a maverick visionary, who is simply trying to help people. Most of them, he and his supporters said, were in temporary crises. With today's economy what it is, even the well-educated and healthy are just a lost job or accident away from homelessness, they said.

Commissioner Bruce U'u spoke up, saying he knows people who have become homeless due to unfortunate circumstances and took issue with some testifiers categorizing the homeless as druggies.

Noelani Wayas said that when she took over as Olowalu Campground manager three years ago, she shared many of the same concerns expressed Tuesday by Spreckelsville residents. But she has since learned a great deal about the true face of homelessness. It's not all been fairy tale endings, she said. However, they've had their share of success stories.

In her time there, she said, she has never had to call the police.

"As soon as they break a rule, they're gone," Wayas said.

Lahaina police officer Stuart Farberow said Martin's team has made incredible strides since it took over campground operations. Olowalu Campground was a constant source of problems when it was previously run by a church as Camp Pecusa, with a more hands-off approach, but no more, he said.

Frank Pruneau testified that being able to stay at Olowalu Campground for 14 months enabled an elderly man to get the knee surgery he needed to actually get back on his feet and into government housing.

Wayas said that people think the homeless are just a bunch of crazy people, and, yes, mental illness does affect many. But there are also some crazy people living in multi-million dollar homes in Spreckelsville, she joked.

"What if we were in their shoes," Wayas asked the commissioners earnestly. "Who would help us out?"

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