Autumn on Maui

Autumn on Maui

Aloha Family & Friends,

Autumn on Maui is universally a special time of year, but how it’s special might be a little different for Maui than for other places. For one thing, the weather changes just a little bit – not as hot and we begin to enjoy our first few rainy days of the season. This is also the time when our “snowbirds” fly south. As we welcome our returning friends and anticipate making new ones, you can almost feel the energy shift. For us, it’s like a piece of the West Maui community puzzle has once again found its place; marking its presence with excitement and enthusiasm for all things yet to be in the upcoming season.

Speaking of changes, we’re in the middle of an interesting one right now for many property owners here on the island. After nearly two years deliberation involving the proposed legislation known as “Bill 9” affecting the future of many short-term rental properties, we have begun to see the first signs of movement from the Maui County Council. Earlier this month, an official report was released by the Temporary Investigative Group (hereafter referred to as TIG) made up of Maui County Council members that was developed to research and recommend the future zoning and usage of nearly 7,000 properties included in the original list of Apartment Zoned condos identified in the proposed legislation.

While various solutions were discussed, the final report of the TIG recommends defining two new zoning categories (H-3 & H-4 Hotel Districts) that would allow properties to conduct both short-term and long-term rentals. They also suggested streamlining the permitting process for those that are currently Apartment Zoned (A-1 or A-2) and would like to apply for H-3/H-4 zoning and usage instead. In conjunction with this recommendation, the TIG released a list of roughly 50 complexes and 4,000 individual units previously included in the proposed Bill 9, that they believed would be better suited for the updated zoning categories.

We view this as a promising development as it has the potential to create “new solutions” in these unprecedented times. Various parties from all facets of the spectrum can work together to define a new, mutually beneficial path forward. It will undoubtedly need a few more tweaks and Bill 9 must still come to a vote. But we’re hopeful that, should the legislation pass, this represents the first step – not only to stabilize the real estate market, but to create more viable, supportive solutions for the residents of Maui County as a whole.

Aloha, Greg & Leah

FEATURED LISTING OF THE MONTH

MONTHLY MAUI MARKET UPDATE

So these are ways that autumn may be different for those of us who live on a beautiful little island in the Pacific Ocean. But how are we the same? We LOVE new recipes! Here’s one for you now:

Instructions

1. To prep, pre-heat oven to 350°F. Set out a mixing bowl for stuffing the kabocha. Set out a baking pan, 8 x 8 or 9 x 13 inches, depending the kabocha’s size.
2. Crumble and cook the pork sausage in a pan. Remove and dump into a mixing bowl. Using the same pan, cook shallots until limp. Dump shalllots into the mixing bowl. Add garlic and bread and toss until well mixed. Add cheese and spices. Toss together to mix. The cheese won’t melt, but it may start to get sticky.
3. Put the kabocha halves in an 8 x 8 or 9 x 13 inch pyrex pan, skin side down. Stuff the kabocha with the sausage and bread mixture. It should be stuffed full but do not smash down and compact it. It should also be a little overflowing.
4. Add a little bit of water to the pan, just enough to cover the bottom. Drizzle heavy cream into each stuffed half, just enough to moisten it up.
5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for about an hour. Then take off the foil and let it go for another 15-20 minutes so everything gets nice and golden brown.

Enjoy!

No Rules Stuffed Kabocha Recipe from Feeding My Ohana