Boats moored near Mala Boat Ramp frame Kaanapali hotels in the distance Wednesday. Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen announced Monday that more areas of West Maui, from Kahana to the Hyatt Regency, will reopen to tourism on Nov. 1. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
More of West Maui will reopen Nov. 1 to visitors, including hotels and properties from Kahana to the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa in Kaanapali, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen announced Monday afternoon.
“There has been an expression from families and workers that … there is a sense of readiness,” Bissen said at a news conference at the Lahaina Civic Center. “This isn’t for everyone. Those that are not ready to go back to work should contact their employers and continue to seek the help and the attention that they need.”
The reopening on Nov. 1 includes Phases 2 and 3 of the three-phase plan that Bissen established after Gov. Josh Green announced in September that West Maui would reopen to tourism on Oct. 8, two months since the deadly wildfires destroyed Lahaina town, residences and businesses. Bissen’s phased approach started with The Ritz-Carlton, Maui Kapalua to Kahana Villa opening first.
“We had some fairly good results of the Oct. 8 reopening,” Bissen said on Monday. “The interaction between the visitors and the local community has been positive and that also went into our decision as well.”
Bissen also addressed lingering concerns over whether the return of visitors will impact displaced residents who are currently staying in more than 36 hotels and properties.
Whalers Village in Kaanapali is virtually empty on Sept. 27. Visitors may soon return to the area when it reopens to tourism on Nov. 1. The Maui News / MELISSA TANJI photo
“We announce the date of Nov. 1 with a lot of discussion with our Lahaina advisory team, with the Red Cross, and with some of our partners,” Bissen said. “We know that there is a concern over housing for our displaced and impacted families. We are assured by the Red Cross that their housing will not be in jeopardy with the opening of this date of Nov. 1.”
Bissen said the county is also working with its partners on helping working families with child care, especially early child care as they return to work.
Displaced Lahaina resident Randal Romo and his sister continue to stay at the Hyatt Regency, and other than ever-changing times on when they need to check in with the Red Cross, they said they know they can remain there and not get kicked out.
He’s hoping they can get into a rental and may find out by next week.
Romo knows the economy is slumping and government officials are trying to revive it, but said “they still need to think about us first.” Tourists will come in and spend money, but “where we going go?” Romo said.
He said he’s “kind of on the fence” about West Maui opening up more and understands that people need to work.
But, he said, it’s “going to be hard seeing these people walking around with happy smiles on their faces because they are on vacation.”
He said his sister, Royale, went out to lunch earlier this month in Kaanapali and had an anxiety attack when she was around visitors. His sister’s job does not directly deal with visitors.
Maui County Council Member Tamara Paltin, who holds the West Maui residency seat, said Bissen called her beforehand to tell her about the Monday announcement. She said she told him some of the concerns, such as a need for child care, as many of the child care places in town burned, as well as the concerns over families getting kicked out of some temporary shelters as they were cooking in their rooms. She also was worried about some displaced families still moving from place to place.
Then there’s also “the infrastructure that we don’t have,” from ample grocery stores to restaurants to try serve visitors, Paltin added.
She said she does “kind of agree” with the mayor that there were no major incidents with visitors and residents during the initial opening, other than visitors taking pictures where they shouldn’t.
“Hopefully the numbers do not overwhelm our infrastructure and displaces residents’ patience,” Paltin said.
During the news conference Monday, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke also announced efforts to boost Maui’s economy and recovery, including a website, mauinuifirst.com, that features Maui County products, businesses and events. She added that there will be events to support Maui on Oahu at the Blaisdell Center and in Waikiki, along with events on Kauai and Hawaii island.
“These events will be free of charge to the vendors and what we want to do is feature Maui’s people on all the islands and how the … entire nation can connect to Maui vendors, Maui’s people,” Luke said.
Bissen and Luke were also joined by the other three county mayors, who were together for the first time to see the devastation. The mayors, who have all been in contact since the Aug. 8 fires, pledged their continued support for Maui County.
“We feel this is not just a Maui situation, it’s for all of us,” Honolulu City and County Mayor Rick Blangiardi said. “We will all be impacted by this. We want the people on Maui to know they are not alone. We are all in this together.”
Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth said he met with a family from Hawaii island who came to Maui to clean up what was left of their father’s house in Lahaina.
“The thought that came to my mind was, is there anything you can find?” Roth asked.
He said they found a little vase and some jewelry “that had pretty much been melted down.”
“There is no words to explain just how devastating it must have been for them. I felt devastated,” Roth said.
“We from Hawaii island, the people of Hawaii island, County of Hawaii really do stand together with Maui, its mayor and all of its people.”
Kauai County Mayor Derek Kawakami recalled that he was 15 years old when Hurricane Iniki ravaged Kauai in 1992.
“And that time I thought Kauai was going to be destroyed forever, and I guess my message is to our young people and our people of Maui, that this is not the end of it,” Kawakami said. “All of us here from every island is here to support Maui and that Maui is, West Maui is not in it alone and we will be here for you folks until as long as we need to be here.”
* Staff Writer Melissa Tanji can be reached at .
- Whalers Village in Kaanapali is virtually empty on Sept. 27. Visitors may soon return to the area when it reopens to tourism on Nov. 1. The Maui News / MELISSA TANJI photo
- An ambulance passes the food and supply distribution site at Lahaina Gateway Center in August while making its way through traffic on Honoapiilani Highway on the first day the road was reopened to the general public. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
- Boats moored near Mala Boat Ramp frame Kaanapali hotels in the distance Wednesday. Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen announced Monday that more areas of West Maui, from Kahana to the Hyatt Regency, will reopen to tourism on Nov. 1. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
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