Hawaiian officials to accelerate building permit process to help Lahaina rebuild

Resident minister of the Lahaina Hongwanji Mission Reverend Ai Hironaka walks through the grounds of his temple and residence destroyed by the August wildfiref (Lindsey Wasson/AP)

Officials in Hawaii will open a new office next month to speed up the process of obtaining building permits in Maui County to assist in the recovery for Lahaina after last year’s deadly wildfires.

County deputy managing director Keanu Lau Hee told a community meeting in Lahaina that a County Expedited Permitting Centre will open in April.