What’s Happening at Baby Beach?

This question has come up a lot lately because access to Baby Beach from the end of Kealakai Pl has changed. It is no longer possible to drive out to the red-sand area to park. That old parking area and the surrounding land up to the nearby houses and makai of the country club is owned by A&B, and they are the ones doing all the work there. See the map below.

According to a recent article in The Maui News, A&B has received the necessary special management area permit from the county to pursue nearly $204,000 in improvements, including installation of instructional signs, placement of boulders, installation of a gate, planting of naupaka and dedication of shoreline access paths. As conditions of the permit, the proposed development must be initiated by Nov. 30, 2021, and completed within one year. You can view the permit here.

The old parking area is fragile land so it makes sense to not allow cars out there any longer, and this appears to be what A&B is planning by installing a gate. But the fact that A&B is adding signage and paths indicates they are not cutting off pedestrian access, but visitors will have to park on Kealakai Pl, which is going to be limited. In any event, the property is zoned conservation and is protected by the Coastal Zone Management Program, which means it will be difficult to get permission to build on it. Even so, it will be better if the county bought it and managed it.

In the following view, the blue line is the boundary for the A&B owned property at the end of Kealakai Pl.

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