Reduce Traffic Congestion

The Patey Place in Lahaina requires no physical changes to the property, just a conditional use permit.
The property has been used for 15 years as a boarding house. The purpose of the Conditional Permit is to legalize the existing use. The property serves a clientele of new employees for restaurants, hotels and retail stores located within walking distance of the subject property.

It is we assume generally agreed that there is currently a shortage in the Lahaina area of affordable housing for employees of the numerous hotels, restaurants and other vacation driven businesses in the area. This has resulted in the absurdity of many employees being forced to drive from areas such as Pukalani all the way to Lahaina and back each day. This has resulted in many traffic problems, resulting in serious accidents and increased traffic congestion on the commuting route. There are many incidents of road rage and the Aloha spirit is often replaced during commuting hours by the single digit salute.

The present use of the subject property reduces these congestion problems directly by residents walking or bicycling to work and also indirectly as employees with a month or two to look for suitable roommates are significantly more likely to be able to find long-term suitable housing/roommates within a short commute.

Typically after a period of several weeks to several months tenants find a house or apartment to share and move out Pateys Place. Based on discussion with many tenants, if this property was not available the alternatives, in approximate order of frequency are:

1. Sleep on the beach.
2. Sleep in a car.
3. Find housing on the North Shore and drive approximately 50 miles per day.

The property as it has been operated has had few complaints and we intend to supplement this application with more letters in support of the change as they become available.

The following negative impacts are believed to be likely if this application is not approved.

1.Increased traffic particularly on the already overloaded Mailia Harbor to Lahina and back routes at peak commuting time.
2.Increased crime as employees are forced to sleep on the beach and are often victims of crime.
3. The owner will be forced to rent on a long term basis if unable to secure the change in approved use. This will not result in affordable family housing. This is likely to go one of two ways; either the property will be rented as-is to the highest bidder, resulting most likely in a defacto albeit illegal rooming house. Alternatively the owner will remodel as a luxury unit resulting in gentrification.