Lahaina Rebuild Still Lags With 2 Commercial Permits as Delays Stall Dozens More

1 articles · Updated · Maui News · Aug 6

Two commercial permits and one completed project were cited at a July 1 Lahaina meeting as proof rebuilding is on track, but the visible progress is thinner than officials suggested.
One completed permit covered only site work and a concrete pad at a gas station, while another same-day approval went to a restaurant built in 2022 that qualified for a fast-track reuse of recent permits.
Dozens of other commercial rebuilds remain stuck in permitting, slowed by unclear documentation, public hearings, shoreline Special Management Area rules and lengthy historic reviews.
State Historic Preservation Division demands have stretched some cases for nearly a year or more; one Front Street project waited from July 2025 to June 2026 for survey clearance.
Costs rise by about $100 to $200 a day per delayed permit, and despite recent state streamlining laws and a 90-day review deadline, the report argues broader executive action is still needed.