What others have shared

One weakness is that the buildings were not fire proof.

Lack of housing for lower wage workers.

This created untenable traffic conditions as many lived in more affordable areas like Wailuku and Kahului. Too much traffic in town also, from Launiupoko to Kaanapali. Need to extend the bypass North to Kaanapali to provide additional evac routes.

Lack of safety protocols. Over crowded with cars along Front Street. Way too many salespeople approaching people to try skin care products along Front Street.

Not enough affordable housing for locals. Catered to Tourists while ignoring the needs and safety of locals and life long multigenerational families. Covered up significant historical sites (Moku Ula for example)

Commercial Sprawl; failure to upgrade infrastructure to match the burdens from large timeshare development; lack of safe power grid upgrades similar to Waikapu Gardens and Maui Lani.

Lack of effort by owners of former farm fields to manage brush and grass, adjacent to residential areas. Incomplete bypass which should extend to Honokowai'; daily traffic congestion due to run away development.

Traffic control.

Dependence on tourism, poor planning (having 3 Schools placed next to each other which makes for congested traffic on school days, allowing development with only one means of access -at Emerald Plaza and the new housing development near Keawe Street)

not heeding the warning signs of potential fire danger and taking proactive measures

Failure to protect residents after previous fires with improved fire resistant landscapes. Out dated infrastructure. Injection well Pollution. Dead ends. No neighborhood escape plans. Stench of dank dry riverbeds. Traffic especially at schools.

Lahaina’s weaknesses were poor electric system, no sidewalks, lots of homeless, and no upkeep on community services such as pool, skatepark, boys and girls club and other needed services.

Lahaina locals had no voice.

Ignored by local government who promoted over development, quid pro quo & abused power. Many homeowners attracted by greed created an abundance of tourist rentals in neighborhoods, destroying Lahaina's normalness, causing astrinomical rent increases for the average resident. Shameful GREED, no aloha, does not belong in Lahaina. Greed IS weakness.

Narrow nonconforming roads, sea level rise exposure, too many short term rentals, tourism over locals, pedestrian safety issues,

erosion, flooding during heavy rains, shipwrecks every kona storm, high cost of living leading to issues with homeless, traffic congestion during peak hours due to workers having to commute

Not enough affordable, residential housing in town.

Before the fire Lahaina’s weaknesses were growing numbers of homeless, lack of parking and narrow streets.

Many of the businesses on Front street catered only to tourists, Lack of sidewalks and bikeways. Having only one way in and out, which we are back to makes it unsafe in medical emergencies. The bypass really needs to be completed and four lanes. Not enough police, ems and firemen

Too many hostels and illegal add-on rooms and studios, on to single family resident homes.

Too many low-income housing projects. Too many vacation rentals attracting strangers into neighborhoods. Big walls and gates and mansions on Front St. blocking the view of the ocean mostly used as vacation rentals by tourist. Fire prone large pieces of land with dry foilage not managed properly.

Clearly the fire exits. Infrastructure! Infrastructure! No proper planning! Council members that do not want to listen to people because they don't look like them.

Priced out of Hawaii, when they build low-income housing it's a catch-22

you got to work two jobs to make ends meet and yet you can't qualify for low income housing because you make too much money working two jobs sometimes three

Shortage of water, county not updating infrastructure, County fighting any improvements, county making it almost impossible to get building permits for repairs, rebuilding, new businesses, etc.

the only problem with Lahaina before the fire is Maui County council, planning, and government.

Crumbling infrastructure. Discrepant Wealth distribution.

homeless people

Traffic congestion, crumbling infrastructure, shabby looking, neglected town, embarrassing homeless population, lack of workforce housing that necessitates long commutes from more affordable communities.

One highway system that is often plagued by erosion or cut off by accidents, fires.

Lahaina's weaknesses were and are too much traffic, not enough roads. Too many people who don't have homes.

congested living and driving conditions, poor building code inspections, lack of mobility along front street for foot and bike traffic, over priced housing, homeless camps/drug shacks, need for improve infrastructure

The County and State will continue making plans without listening to the people of West Maui. It is already happening.

Affordable housing for the people of Lahaina that were born and raised here. So many had to move away in order to find an affordable place to live.

It had become run down and some buildings were at the point of being dangerous.

A party hub instead of a historical and cultural hub. Lack of housing.

Lahaina was prone to a mass fire and was indeed warned about one.

HECO should put all utilities underground not in their so called phase three but as part of the rebuild. Having only one two lane road in/out is a joke. Either pave and expand the kahakaloa road or make Honoapiilani four lanes. Train police better to handle evacuation traffic. Tighten building codes so there’s disaster mitigation.

Above-ground electrical lines, uncontrolled grasslands, dead-end streets, lack of multiple ways in and out of town, incomplete bypass, lack of parking space, aged wooden structures, lack of affordable housing.

* Outdated power lines * Too many short term rentals * High rent * Not enough work forced housing * Outdated infrastructure * Too many cars on the streets

Communities that were awesome in the old days but were not able to grow with the increase in cars.

The community did not have a good way of listening to and incorporating ideas from the residents. We can change that now!

Inadequate sewage treatment. No mauka Kamehameha School weed mitigation. Poor electrical system and maintenance. No mandate for solar PV. Too many window AC units, no heat pump or passive solar design mandate. No Mokuʻula restoration.

City planning, transportation, communication when power & internet & phones are out.

No emergency evacuation routes, no warnings, no safe shelters, no communication between emergency personnel & none to the people.

Not enough housing and economic opportunity.

Lack of fire code and building/zoning code enforcement.

The structures were allowed to be built close to neighboring structures. Brush and combustible debris flourished between homes, allowing the fire to hop from structure to structure. Current zoning law allows people to build these structures without ramifications - ONLY addressed if a neighbor registers a complaint. True

One lane road to and from Kahului

NO hospital in West Maui to service our people. Too much traffic. Too much tourist. Too much BS. Too much short term rentals. Over head power lines. Narrow roads in residential areas. Lack of affordable housing - keep the locals here - allow them to buy housing before you let out of state people purchase - this is our land

Having to be so reliant on the tourist industry and being isolated from many major resources.

Weakness before fire was old infrastructure, lack of safe pedestrian walking areas and lack of safe bike lanes.

Parking was always a problem also.

Most of the water and new developments in west Maui are for tourists, need to prioritize locals.

No safe place to walk or ride bikes.

One road in and out

Parking convenient for most shopping

few sidewalks, no bike paths, only one way in and out of town, no practical parking

Too many homeless. ridiculous electrical poles - unsightly, unsafe, not maintained

Weaknesses were too much dependence on tourism, making residents pay for parking, allowing too many people to move onto an island that couldn't sustain it.

There appeared to be little to no fire risk abatement even after the 2018 fires.

The parks are lacking. Sharkpit and baby beach/mala are the only two beaches that are not directly bordered by the highway. the walking trail by Wahikuli is drowned with the sound of the highway and headlights shine directly in your eyes at night. Parking for locals was very difficult.

We knew wat needed to be done but nothing happened.

2018 n pass fires Gave us warning that was ignored. Road ways in n out of Lahaina are horrible. Any accidents, Lahaina would be cut off. Streets into lahainaluna neighborhoods are to small or over congested. Water wars with companies n County..

Lack of comprehensive disaster preparedness, limited affordable housing, insufficient evacuation routes, and vulnerability to natural disasters were notable weaknesses in Lahaina pre-fire.

One of Lahaina's primary weaknesses lies in its community design, which reflects a historical desperation for adequate shelter, amenities, and infrastructure.

Over time, this has led to a haphazard layout that may not efficiently meet the needs of its residents. Lahaina faces challenges from offshore investors who control a significant portion of the land which further limit communty growth.

Before 8Aug, Lahaina streets were a mess for bikes and pedestrians, AND cars/parking.

100-200yo Streets originally built for walking and horses were designated for 2way car and truck traffic, with no consideration for pedestrians or bikes. Infrastructure was falling apart. Cesspools abound and were polluting the ocean. Grasslands repeatedly threatened to burn the town.

Single usable road to get to other side. Lack of medical care. Lack of adequate water.

Power delivery unreliable. Communication unreliable. Plantation fields allowed to fall fallow. TVR's removed housing options for residents. Too much traffic, too many cars. Bypass is incomplete. Front Street: No pedestrian control. Power, phone, cable, sewer and water design not modernized. Emergency planning failures.

The traffic congestion is the number one weakness for me.

If you didn’t time your trip just right, you got stuck in traffic. And if there was an accident on the Pali that resulted in the highway being closed, so the only way in or out is through Kahakuloa.

Ineffective leadership. (See also “Weaknesses of Lahaina AFTER the fire”.)

There were not enough public bathrooms/toilets.

Made it hard for older people and young families to enjoy Lahaina town.

Too much tourists congestion

Expensive, homelessness, not well kept.

Inability to force Government action to stop illegal monster houses, theft, diversion of the life giving WATER away from it's natural course.

Allowing a GLUT of 'homestays for tourists in neighborhoods which destroys the ambiance of Community. Over ownership of property by a few causing harm through congestion for the many,Voices of protest dismissed by governance.

Unauthentic and irrelevant tourist area

Poor planning, old outdated buildings and powere poles (not caring for the infrastructure.

Due to GROSS neglect by the State of Hawaii you killed the cash cow. Lahaina will come back but not as the robust tourist Econmy that Oahu was routinely robbing to pay for their corrupt rail!