Last week I came across an article from Hawaii News Now about a new beach nourishment proposal in the affected areas of Kahana Bay on the west side of Maui. This project has been a hot topic for a few years now and up until last week, I had not heard of a number as far as the cost to attempt to bring the beach back. There are 9 different condominium complexes being affected by the beach erosion and I have been advising potential buyers about the risks of purchasing a vacation rental condo or investment property in those complexes because of the unknown cost of this project that could, and most likely, will generate a special assessment for those associations involved. The cost of the project is approximately $8,000,000 and those associations involved agreed to pay, according to the article.
A previous study had shown pockets of sand that were found just offshore in the Kahana Bay area. The sand from those spots will be used to widen the beach by as much as 150 feet, and T-shaped sand containment structures would be built to help stabilize the beach. My surfer’s mind cannot help wondering if those T-shaped structures are going to create new surf spots on Maui along with bringing the beach back… we shall see 🙂
Once the beach nourishment project is complete, the article mentions that Hololani Resort must remove a temporary wall that was built last year. I can only imagine of the owners at Hololani must be going through.
If you would like a copy of the article or if you have any questions, feel free to reach out. Thanks for reading!
Aloha,
Alex
Freddy V
March 26, 2019
Let’s paddle out! When will those Ts be placed?
Elaine
April 1, 2019
We love staying at Royal Kahana and watched the erosion worsen in just two years. I hope that the beach is fixed and lasts a long time.