Advocacy

Baldwin Home, June 2024 10/24/2024: After the devastating fires on Maui last year, the impacts to historic buildings and sites are still being evaluated, with intentions to stabilize and restore as many as possible. Of the ten historic structures listed as contributing to the Lahaina National Historic Landmark (NHL) District, two were destroyed outright by the wildfires that devastated Lahaina in August 2023, while portions of seven remain, mostly due to their stone construction. Pioneer Inn burned completely while Waiola Church is too damaged to preserve. Maria Lanakila Catholic Church escaped with only minor burns, as did the Waiola Cemetery. Baldwin House, Masters’ Reading Room, Hale Aloha, Old Lahaina Prison, Old Lahaina Courthouse, Seamen’s Hospital and Old Spring House were all heavily damaged but retained sufficient integrity to allow for future restoration. In September, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced that debris from the wildfires had been removed from all Lahaina residential properties, covering some 1,390 lots.  The debris removal effort had moved on to the commercial areas, with 102 of the 159 commercial lots cleared. The final area to be cleared includes the Lahaina Historic District parcels. USACE identified five historic structures that would receive shoring and bracing efforts and would be protected during the debris removal activities. These include: Goo Lip Furtado Building, 693 Front Street Hale Aloha Church, 636 Luakini Street Old Lahaina Courthouse, 648 Wharf Street Old Lahaina Prison, 187 Prison Street Seamen’s Hospital, 1024 Front Street The USACE engineers continued to assess the Baldwin Memorial Home and Master’s Reading Room to determine whether and how supplemental bracing would be installed. Lahaina Restoration Foundation installed emergency measures in January to prevent catastrophic collapse while waiting for the [...]

NEWS RELEASE, DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES 9/29/23 (LĀHAINĀ, MAUI) – A team from the DLNR State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD), joined by the Lead Environmental Advisor from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have made preliminary conclusions that some of the most notable historic structures burned in the Lāhainā fires can be rehabilitated. Maui County has placed small signs in front of at least 12 buildings, noting that “This site has been identified for the highest level of care…access to this site without a cultural monitor is prohibited.” Chelsea Klein, FEMA’s lead environmental planning and historic preservation advisor for the Lāhainā disaster said, “I’m impressed by the fact that particularly the stone, masonry and concrete buildings appear to have a lot of structural integrity.” Klein has been with FEMA for 17 years and has responded to hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, and fires. “The historic fabric seems to hold up better through some of these disasters than more modern construction,” she explained. “I guess there was more time and care associated with building public buildings or infrastructure in times gone by, rather than modern planned obsolescence,” Klein added. Those who built structures like the Old Lāhainā Courthouse, the Baldwin House and Master’s Reading Room, and the Seamen’s House and Hospital used a level of effort that Klein said we don’t spend these days. “The structures were built better and stronger back then. It is highly likely that these structures can be rehabilitated, as the historic fabric is still there, and should continue to endure for [...]

Updated 10/3/2023 Governor Josh Green amended his order suspending historic preservation laws under an emergency proclamation (EP) after community outcry and concerns about the loss of protection for cultural and historic resources. The change came with the second proclamation relating to housing, issued September 15, which revised the first proclamation first signed by Governor Green on July 17, 2023. The original 60-day emergency proclamation suspended seven laws, including historic preservation and environmental reviews, open meeting and public notice, Land Use Commission, and others. The proclamation also applied to any type of multi-family housing, not limited to affordable or workforce units. The exemptions from state law prompted intense community outcry—including from Historic Hawai‘i Foundation and the Society for Hawaiian Archaeology—and lawsuits filed by the Sierra Club, ACLU and others. In making the proclamation, Green cited “lengthy and cumbersome planning, zoning, and permitting processes” and studies that have called for their streamlining. Instead of offering lasting and meaningful solutions to involved review processes, the governor suspended “all the laws that get in our way.” The revised proclamation addressed many of the concerns. It adds “affordable” housing to the title. In a statement, Green said, “We listened to the public and we clarified that the EP is about affordable housing and for helping families affected by the housing crisis. This new EP focuses on what we all agree will push forward new affordable housing projects.” Green also stated that the EP excludes the area affected by the Lahaina wildfires, which will be handled separately. The amended EP also reinstates the state Sunshine Law for the working group meetings and allows for public testimony; restores HRS Chapter 6E for Historic Preservation; restores HRS Chapter 343 for Environmental Impact Statements; [...]

The Comment Deadline has been extended to September 21, 2022. Notice of Comment Deadline Extended HHF Comments Additional reading: This WWII-Era Hangar Survived The Japanese Attack On Hawaii. The Marines Want To Tear It Down - Honolulu Civil Beat MCBH Hangar 104; source: HABS. 9/2/22: Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i is accepting public comment on the potential environmental impacts—including demolition of a historic hangar that was damaged during the attack on December 7, 1941—for a project to base new aircraft at the Kāne‘ohe Bay base. Comments are due Tuesday, September 7. There will be an adverse effect on historic properties resulting from the proposed construction with the modification and destruction of two hangars. Both Hangars 3 and 4 are historically significant. Hangars 1-4 were constructed in 1941; Hangar 5 was built in 1943 and all five of them are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. They are anchor buildings in the Aviation Historic District and part of the setting of the Naval Air Station Kaneohe National Historic Landmark. MCBH Aviation District Map source: MCBH Historic Hawai‘i Foundation opposes the proposed demolition and has supported an alternative location that would be less impactful to historic and cultural resources. The Integrated Cultural Resources Management Plan for Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i states that, “On December 7, 1941, the naval air station was among the first military installations to be hit during the Japanese attack on O‘ahu. Hangar 101 was nearly destroyed, and Hangars 102 and 103 and smaller buildings along the airfield suffered damage. Nineteen people were killed. One enemy plane crashed into the base of Pu‘u Hawai‘iloa and two others crashed into Kailua Bay.” The NAS Kāne‘ohe Bay Aviation District includes 55 [...]