PRESIDENT’S REPORT – June 25, 2017
Lot 1A
The last few months have been very eventful at Kihei Kai Nani. First, over 74% of the owners agreed to purchase Lot 1A! We only needed agreement from 67%. Five owners said no, the others abstained. DMI reports that over $1,300,000 has been paid by owners, most paying the $8,500 right away. Those who chose the $4,250 option, or chose to pay long term, will pay the remaining $200,000. We were able to secure a 7 year fixed loan at 3.9%. Coupons will be sent to those owners detailing their monthly payments. There is no pre-payment penalty for those who choose to pay off their share earlier.
We no longer have to worry about construction trucks tearing up our driveway and new condos being built. The driveway easement is no more. In addition, we have a our beautiful landscape barrier with our trees and plantings. Owners have already made suggestions about what to do with the additional area beyond it. We know it will be a topic of great importance and interest at the January 27, 2018 Owners’ Meeting.
Projects and Plans
Since January, Manager Johnson, and our staff have been doing upgrades and finishing projects such as tiling unit 118’s lanai and driveway repairs. So far this year, we have had no major leaks in the interior plumbing lines that have damaged our units in the past. This summer we plan to do the high risk component study to help prevent further leaks. We will also inspect the bottom units that have not been repaired for water leakage.
May Walk Around
Owners were treated to a true KKN Aloha event at the May Walk Around. Johnny Johnson had arranged for our usual coffee and donuts to be accompanied by our intrepid staff, Kenny and Willie, performing Hawaiian songs. It was a special surprise when owner Janet Rineer arrived to contribute her lovely hula!
Who said pineapple is gone in Maui? We can now add pineapples to our other wonderful fruit trees – Mango, bananas, Star Fruit and Papayas!
What’s next? Lilikoi and Avocados? A Lot 1A orchard??
The lawn has grown in under the Star Fruit tree since it was trimmed, and the stump from the fallen tree at building 3 was removed. After the sewer replacement at building 13, the landscape was restored at the driveway end, and a hedge was planted along the small wall to prevent falls. Johnny Johnson also added a step in front of the
surfboard storage container, to make it safer for people to get their equipment. We also planted Forever around the new plumbing on the lawn in front of building 11 as a safety precaution, so people will not stumble over the wall in the dark.
The flowers in the planters outside the pool area are bountiful and beautiful!
The Jacaranda trees at building 7 are in full bloom and during a recent rain storm the flowers formed a beautiful purple carpet wherever they touched.
Be sure to contact Landscape Committee Chair Pat Hoskin with any suggestions you have for landscape improvements. Pat planted this beautiful native white hibiscus near building 8. It’s the only hibiscus with a scent. Stop by and take a sniff!
Office Roof
The Board had planned to replace the office roof this summer as termite and roof tile damage was extensive, but further investigation by an engineer revealed that we needed to do much more, so the Board has put off the repairs until Summer 2018. A committee has been formed to work on plans.
Website
Our current website is outdated, difficult to maintain, and prone to security issues. The Board voted to update the website to be easily viewed and navigated on a phone or tablet. The new website will be much more user friendly. Every effort will be made to maintain branding of the KKN identity and logo. Board member Wayne Braid will oversee the changes. Once it is completed, it will be much easier for the Board or our Manager to post new items, photos, and notices and to delete outdated and old information. We hope to reorganize information so it will be easier to find. We will also try to establish a section that will alert owners to new information as it occurs. Our website is: www.kknaoao.com
Kamaole Grand Update
On April 25, the Maui Planning Commission heard Kamaole Grand’s request for a Special Management Area (SMA) use permit for a $90 million, 217-condominium unit project. This development will be on the 8.39 acre vacant lot north of our property, behind the Kamaole Shopping Center. Plans call for seven 2 and 3 bedroom 4 story buildings, surrounding a recreation center and pool, with a driveway around the edge of the property. The buildings will be 45 feet from our north border with a road and parking spaces against the fence between our properties. KG’s major access point will be mauka of the project at Liloa Drive, with a makai access at South Kihei Road. A group of Kihei Kai Nani owners attended the hearing to present our concerns about:
- additional flooding since past developers changed the ground configuration by building up the back elevation;
- new blasting during installation of utilities; and
- the increase of traffic, especially on South Kihei Road.
We also requested a more substantial fence or wall to prevent flooding and car lights from shining into our units. Royal Mauian owners were also there and filed an intervention complaint. Their complaint detailed additional traffic and flooding danger, but the Commission determined that their complaints were the same as the community at large, and not just pertinent to their condominium complex. After a full day of testimony, the planning Commission approved the SMA with two conditions: Permanent restriction on short term rentals and Electronic monitoring of drainage run off during construction. One commissioner did request the developer to use a fencing material other than vinyl, but the developer said it was too expensive, so we’ll probably have vinyl fencing on our north border. The development will have to undergo more hurdles before they have a completed plan, so it’s unlikely anything will happen soon. We will make sure KKN is represented at any future hearings.
June 25, 2017
Aloha,
Ethel Belway, President