Department of Land and Natural Resources

KAHULUI – The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) will implement a new parking plan in the Maalaea Small Boat Harbor beginning Monday, August 3, 2015.

DOBOR has selected Diamond Parking to manage the entire parking area at Maalaea. The facility will have approximately 208 regular parking stalls, seven or eight boat trailer parking stalls and four ADA compliant handicap parking stalls available for users. The final count on the available stalls is pending finalization of the configuration plan.

Approval for DOBOR to issue a month to month revocable permit for up to a year to a parking vendor was given by the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) at the board’s meeting on April 24, 2015. Discussion about the parking plan has been circulating in the media since 2013.

As the vendor, Diamond Parking will install parking meters, collect fees ($0.50 per hour, $12.00 per 24 hour period) for all parking stalls in the harbor, pay for necessary infrastructure upgrades related to vehicle parking (signage, etc.) and pay a flat fee or a percentage of gross receipts to DOBOR for deposit into the Boating Special Fund which will be used to improve harbor facilities.

The Maalaea Small Boat Harbor has undergone substantial improvements that include a new ferry building with attached DOBOR district office, new piers, loading docks and parking areas. The total cost of the new improvements was approximately $15 million.

The repair and maintenance of the harbor is paid for through the boating special fund which consists of user fees generated from mooring fees, commercial vessel operations, and revenues from fast land leases. DOBOR does not receive any general fund money to help cover operating expenses.

Since those with use permits issued by DOBOR are not the only people using the facility, i.e. surfers, fishermen, neighboring commercial businesses, etc., DOBOR is seeking ways to make the generation of operating revenues more equitable for all user groups.

DOBOR has held several public meetings over the course of a year, with harbor permittees and members of the general public, to discuss the implementation of a parking plan.

Since the proposed parking area is new and may need to be amended based on general operations, DOBOR has issued a revocable permit on a month to month basis for up to one year in order to gather information that will be used to draft a concession agreement that will be later be placed out to bid.

This parking concession is similar to the parking concession located at the Ala Wai Small boat harbor, Oahu. Since its inception, the average monthly parking revenues generated at the Ala Wai small boat harbor is $62,500, (which is used to support operating costs statewide). Another benefit of the parking concession is security at the facility during times when the harbor office is closed.

DOBOR operates and manages 19 harbors, 15 ramps, and 2,122 moorings and berths across the state. The division works in close partnership with DLNR’s Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) and the U.S. Coast Guard to make near shore waters safe.

The division is also responsible for registering all vessels in Hawai‘i which are not documented by the U.S. Coast Guard, and for regulating and permitting surf meets, canoe and yachting regattas, ocean swimming events and other ocean events with the concurrence of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Media Contact:
Deborah Ward
DLNR Communications Specialist
Phone: (808) 587-0320 

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