Maui Lani shopping center

The Maui Lani shopping center is planned on a 13-acre parcel along the Maui Lani Parkway and across Kaahumanu Avenue from Baldwin High School. The plans include a 55,000-square-foot Safeway store, 12 Safeway-owned fuel pumps, restaurants, a food court and retail shops. The shopping center will provide 128,000 square feet of commercial space and 673 parking stalls.

There will be two access driveways from Maui Lani Parkway. But the residents were focused on the access from Kainani Street, which is a main thoroughfare to the Sandhills neighborhood.

During the hearing, commissioners and residents were also concerned about 19 burials found at the site. An archaeologist on the development staff said a plan to preserve the burials in place is being developed, although some burials may be moved away from the parking lot and driveways.

Working with county engineers, he said the development group has revised its plans for realigning Kainani Street. Instead of four lanes of traffic to the shopping center, there will be two lanes to exit the center with one lane from Kaahumanu Avenue.

The revised traffic pattern for Kainani Street will be reviewed by state highways engineers and incorporated into the environmental assessment.

Sandhills resident Clare Apana said she wasn’t aware of the additional burials found on the site and noted that she only saw a few on previous reports.

“What is going on?” she asked. “Please, please go with a fine tooth comb and make this project pono.”