The Maui County Council advanced an intergovernmental agreement on first reading Jan. 17 to allow federal debris-removal work at the privately owned Spring House property in Lahaina while giving the county a role in safeguarding historic stones and other recovered items.

The measure, passed on first reading 8-0 with one member excused, responds to an urgent timeline: Army Corps crews are scheduled to conclude their debris-removal work at the end of February, county staff said, and without an agreement any remaining standing walls or culturally sensitive materials could be cleared without a county role in their care.

Why it matters: The Spring House sits behind Front Street near Campbell Park and overlays an ancestral spring. Speakers at the council hearing urged preserving the structure and the spring; county staff said much of the surface debris already has been removed and only the vertical walls and concrete slab remain. With the property privately owned and the owner indicating they will pursue demolition, staff urged the limited, time-sensitive agreement as the county’s best available option to retain and protect cultural material recovered during removal.

Neighborhood groups and cultural stewards told the council they oppose demolition. Theo Morrison, executive director of Lahaina Restoration Foundation, said the building can be restored and described bringing a structural engineering firm that concluded “this does not have to be demolished.” Morrison said FEMA insisted on a full demolition rather than targeted removal and that the foundation has pursued alternative debris-removal options with the county. “No is a complete sentence,” Morrison said, summarizing his opposition to demolition.

Other testifiers—including historians and descendants—characterized the site as part of a biocultural landscape tied to Lahaina’s history and urged preservation. Jen Mader (testifying as a long-time worker with local mission descendants) said the spring is “a tangible link to these histories” and warned that demolition could expose and further harm the ancestral groundwater source.

County staff described the limited scope of the proposed agreement. Erin Wade, who handled debris-removal coordination with federal agencies, told council members that the Corps had completed most surface removal and that without the county agreement the Corps would move on and the remaining standing walls could be demolished without a county program to receive or safeguard recovered pohaku (stones). Wade said the agreement before the council would allow the county to accept and store recovered stones on county property so cultural stewards could later decide their fate.

Council members asked about alternatives. Director David Molitao (on the record as a resource for cultural protection) said any re-use of recovered stones would be reviewed under historic-district procedures; reconstruction or any new use would need historic-district permits and cultural-commission review. Molitao’s cultural assessment also stated such stones traditionally have high cultural significance and should not be repurposed for commercial ends. Councilmember Tamara Poulton asked staff to explore whether the county could pursue eminent domain for a small portion of the parcel that contains the spring house; staff said they would consult with corporation counsel and bring options back before second reading.

What the council did: The body passed the intergovernmental agreement measure on first reading (8 ayes, 0 nos, 1 excused). Staff and several council members said they would return with additional options, including potential property acquisition or other legal approaches, before final action.

Looking ahead: Council rules require a second reading to adopt the agreement. County staff and cultural practitioners said they will continue consultations, but stressed the near-term deadline because the Corps’ debris mission will end unless the county and the owner reach workable arrangements for recovered artifacts.

Sources: Public testimony during the Jan. 17 council meeting; county staff presentations and Q&A on the proposed intergovernmental agreement.