Guide to Community Plan Designations
Throughout the past few years, the Planning Department has worked with stakeholders to update the community plan designations for all future community plan updates on Maui Island. The designations listed in community plans adopted prior to 2020 on Maui Island are outdated and no longer accurately reflect the existing conditions or future vision of Maui County residents. While the older designations separate uses, the updated designations on the following pages focus instead on “place types” or “character areas” that describe a range of uses, densities, and other characteristics.
The new designations are easier to understand, are consistent with planning best practices, and better reflect existing conditions and desired future conditions. These designations were implemented in the West Maui Community Plan Update and will be used in all future community plan updates across Maui Island.
The descriptions, development patterns, example imagery, and street types of each designation can be viewed by clicking on the color-coded sections below.
The Rural Residential community plan designation is intended to preserve rural character. Rural Residential areas are generally developed with large-lot subdivisions, family farms, and estates. This designation serves as a transition between agricultural areas and more urban development. Clustered development is encouraged to preserve sensitive natural features, common open space, or working agricultural lands. The primary use in this designation is low-density residential, and may include support uses such as parks, schools, and farming.
Development Patterns
Example Imagery
Street Types
Type: Minor Streets | Class: Country Road
Type: Minor Streets | Class: Minor Street
The Residential community plan designation is intended to establish, protect, and appropriately infill low-to-moderate-density residential areas. This designation encourages a range of housing types such as single-family, ‘ohana units, duplex, tri-plex, townhouses, and small-scale multi-family units. New Residential developments should include pedestrian, bicycle, and transit connections to provide residents with access to services and amenities, and existing Residential neighborhoods should be retrofitted to allow these multimodal connections. Related and compatible uses include parks, schools, churches, foodscapes, and other public/quasi-public uses. Small-scale, mom-and-pop commercial uses may also be permitted on a limited basis, provided these businesses are pedestrian-oriented and will generate minimal vehicular traffic. These uses should create safe, walkable commercial nodes for the surrounding neighborhood, while the overall district remains predominantly residential and must include safe multimodal options.
Development Patterns
Example Imagery
Street Types
Type: Minor Streets | Class: Minor Street
Type: Collector | Class: Major Collector
The Rural Village community plan designation is intended to preserve the character of Maui’s small rural towns and includes services that support nearby rural residential communities. Uses within this designation include a mix of neighborhood-serving commercial and public/quasi-public uses such as parks, schools, and churches, and may include limited residential. Rural Villages are generally small, for example not exceeding the approximate area of four corners of an intersection, and have clear edges defined by land uses, building types, or natural features. Uses within this designation include a mix of neighborhood serving commercial, public/quasi-public uses such as parks, schools, and churches, and may include limited residential. New development should be appropriate in scale and designed to complement the character and sense of place of the rural area. Development must follow the scale and character of the surrounding area until design standards are established by the Council.
Development Patterns
Example Imagery
Street Types
Type: Minor Streets | Class: Country Road
Type: Minor Streets | Class: Minor Street
The Neighborhood Center community plan designation is intended to include services that support nearby residential within pedestrian-oriented commercial nodes. Uses within this designation are primarily neighborhood serving, with small scale buildings, like traditional mom-and-pop shops, providing opportunities for people to take care of daily activities close to home. Pedestrian, bicycle, and transit connections provide residents with access to the Neighborhood Center. This designation may also include residential uses, such as small-lot single-family and multi-family, and human-scale, mixed-use buildings that include residential. Related and compatible uses include parks, schools, churches, and other public/quasi-public uses. Development must follow the scale and character of the surrounding area until design standards are established by the Council.
Development Patterns
Example Imagery
Street Types
Type: Minor Streets | Class: Minor Street
Type: Collectors | Class: Major Collector
The Small Town Center community plan designation is intended to preserve the character of Maui’s smaller towns and communities, and allow for development of new low-to-medium-density commercial centers with a mix of uses that service nearby neighborhoods. The mix of uses and human-scale design in Small Town Centers is similar to Neighborhood Centers, however these areas typically cover a larger area and may serve more neighborhoods. Some Neighborhood Centers may evolve into Small Town Centers over time. Ground floor commercial with second floor apartments is encouraged to provide live-work opportunities for residents. A mix of medium density housing types are also encouraged. Preferred design elements include smaller blocks; buildings fronting property lines; ample pedestrian, bicycle and transit facilities; as well as public/private amenities, civic spaces and parks. Development must follow the scale and character of the surrounding area until design standards are established by the Council.
Development Patterns
Example Imagery
Street Types
Type: Minor Streets | Class: Main Street
Type: Collectors | Class: Main Collector
The Transit Oriented Corridor community plan designation is intended to create transit-friendly areas that are, or are planned to be, characterized by a mix of higher-density commercial, employment, light industrial, and residential uses. Within this designation, residential uses and retail and other businesses serving local or regional markets mix to create pedestrian-friendly activity centers and multimodal corridors with vibrant street life. Housing types in this designation include a mix of medium- to high-density development. Preferred design elements include buildings fronting property lines; pedestrian, bicycle, and transit facilities; public/private amenities; and civic space and parks. Developments within Transit Oriented Corridor designations should be designed to provide the majority of the services residents would need on a daily basis, within walking distance. Development must follow the scale and character of the surrounding area until design standards are established by the Council.
Development Patterns
Example Imagery
Street Types
Type: Collectors | Class: Major Collectors
Type: Arterials | Class: Arterial
The Resort/Hotel community plan designation is intended to provide for existing and future visitor-oriented development in appropriate areas. When developed, these areas are typically medium- to high-density with a broad range of uses primarily intended to serve visitors, including transient accommodations, retail and commercial uses, and other visitor amenities. Related and compatible uses include parks and other public/quasi-public uses. Public beach access must be provided as required by law and will not be discourage.
Development Patterns
Example Imagery
Street Types
Type: Minor Streets | Class: Minor Street
Type: Parkways | Class: Parkway
The Employment Center community plan designation is intended to encourage a range of employment uses like light manufacturing, processing, other light industrial uses, business incubators, and compatible uses in appropriate areas. These areas may also include amenities that serve the employees that work there including retail, restaurants, and live-work spaces. Development in these areas should include ample multimodal options, such as pedestrian, bicycle, and transit facilities, and may include some parks or civic spaces. Development must follow the scale and character of the surrounding area until design standards are established by the Council.
Development Patterns
Example Imagery
Street Types
Type: Minor Streets | Class: Minor Street
Type: Collectors | Class: Major Collector
The Industrial community plan designation is intended to permit intense industrial and manufacturing activities which could include noxious uses.
Development Patterns
Example Imagery
Street Types
Type: Minor Streets | Class: Minor Street
Type: Collectors | Class: Major Collector
The Special Purpose District community plan designation is intended to provide for specified land uses that, due to their uniqueness or incompatibility, do not easily fall within one of the other community plan designations. This district applies to airports and may also include established project districts that do not easily fall within one or more of the other community plan designations.
Development Patterns
Example Imagery
Street Types
Type: Minor Streets | Class: Minor Street
Type: Collectors | Class: Major Collector
The Public/Quasi-Public community plan designation is intended to provide facilities for public use or benefit. Many of the uses in this designation are also allowed in other districts, like churches, parks and schools, but this designation is typically for planned or existing larger-scale government, nonprofit or educational uses.
Development Patterns
Example Imagery
Street Types
Type: Minor Streets | Class: Minor Street
Type: Collectors | Class: Major Collector
The Park community plan designation is intended to preserve and manage lands for recreational activities, including golf courses and related amenities.
Development Patterns
Example Imagery
Street Types
Type: Minor Streets | Class: Minor Street
Type: Collectors | Class: Major Collector
The Open Space community plan designation is intended to preserve and manage lands for Native Hawaiian traditional and customary uses, while protecting sensitive ecological resources, scenic resources, hazardous areas, drainage ways, and open space greenbelts and greenways. Open Space areas support natural processes such as flood management and erosion control.
Development Patterns
Example Imagery
Street Types
Type: Minor Streets | Class: Country Road
Type: Collectors | Class: Major Collector
The Agriculture community plan designation is intended to promote agricultural development, preserve and protect agricultural resources, and support the agricultural character and components of the county’s economy and lifestyle. Lifestyle estate-type subdivisions with lots that are not used for active agricultural production are prohibited, and long-term leaseholds are encouraged for farming.
Development Patterns
Example Imagery
Street Types
Type: Minor Streets | Class: Country Road
Type: Collectors | Class: Major Collector
The State Conservation community plan designation is intended to recognize the designation of lands in the State Conservation District and is used to protect and preserve wilderness areas, beach reserves, scenic areas, historic sites, open ranges, wetlands, and watersheds; to conserve fish and wildlife; and to promote forestry and grazing.
Example Imagery
