Future of 4,500 Maui vacation rentals uncertain following planning commission’s ‘no’ vote

A proposal to establish new hotel zoning districts — a move that would allow roughly 4,500 short-term vacation rentals to survive a looming phase-out — faces an uncertain future after the measure was resoundingly rejected last month by the Maui Planning Commission.

The 2026 real property assessment notices will be mailed to property owners by March 15, 2026, according to the County of Maui Department of Finance Real Property Assessment Division.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation invites everyone to share their thoughts on future land transportation needs for freight, motorists, transit, bicyclists and pedestrians as part of the Statewide Long-Range Land Transportation Plan update.

Fiscal Year 2026 grant applications open this Friday, March 6, for the Kīhei Clean & Safe Program, which is designed to help cultivate a clean and safe environment in South Maui, the County of Maui Office of Economic Development announced. The application deadline is end of day on March 20, 2026.  

The State of Hawaiʻi, in partnership with Hawaiʻi Foodbank, today officially launched the 2026 Annual State Employees’ Food and Fund Drive. Since 1999, state employees have supported the drive to raise food and funds for Hawaiʻi Foodbank and its statewide affiliates. The Annual Drive will run from March 4 through May 8.

Students at Kahaluʻu Elementary School enjoyed locally grown microgreens on their lunch plates this week, harvested just across the street from campus at Kupu Place. Because of the farm’s close proximity, the greens were picked Sunday, delivered Tuesday, and served to students Wednesday.

The Teran James Young Foundation invites the Maui community to a free public online meeting of its Climate Action Advisory Committee on Wednesday, March 11 at 10 a.m. HST via Zoom.

The March 2026 Workshop, titled “Navigating End-of-Life Uncertainty: Understanding the emotional & spiritual needs of caregivers and those nearing life’s end,” will feature guest speaker Laura Miner, a thanatologist, educator-death counselor with over 20+years of experience supporting individuals and families through end-of-life transitions.

Maui Food Bank has completed the purchase of an eight-acre parcel of land located at the corner of Kūihelani Highway and Waikō Road in Central Maui for $9.25 million. The property was acquired from Pacific Rim Land, Inc. dba Waikō Industrial Investment, LLC.

Applications are now open for a total of $10,000 in scholarships available to Lahainaluna High School seniors and alumni for the 2026–2027 school year, the Lahaina Restoration Foundation’s Scholarship Committee announced.

More than 1,500 Maui residents and visitors — some from as far away as Canada and Italy — ran and walked in last weekend’s 15th annual Maui 5K at Maui Ocean Center, raising a record $83,000 for Maui Nui schools.

A bill that would establish a statewide program for pre-built homes, which aims to help with Hawaiʻi’s housing crisis, on Monday passed unanimously out of the House Finance committee.