HomeMy WebLinkAboutKalpana Joglekar and Ajit Bodas
Tsuneda, Kaci
From:Kal <maliakaikona@gmail.com>
Sent:Wednesday, August 12, 2026 8:36 AM
To:Council Testimony
Cc:Darrow, Jeffrey W.; Leah Debina
Subject:Fwd: Request to Preserve Existing STVR Rights at Malia Kai
Hello,
As per the response from Planning Director Darrow below, we are submitting our note to you.
We are the owners at Malia Kai in Kailua-Kona and are writing to respectfully express our
concern regarding the proposal to eliminate Short-Term Vacation Rentals (STVRs) as a
permitted use in RM-zoned properties and require existing owners to obtain Non-Conforming
Use (NCU) Certificates.
We purchased our townhouse with the understanding that STVRs were a lawful and
permitted use. Like many owners, we invested hundreds of thousands of dollars based on
those regulations, obtained a valid County STVR permit, and have remained fully compliant.
Changing the rules now would fundamentally alter the rights under which we made our
investment.
We respectfully ask that Malia Kai—and other long-established RM condominium
communities where STVRs have been legally operating for many years—be permanently
grandfathered as a permitted use and excluded from the proposed changes. Existing lawful
STVRs should not be reclassified as non-conforming uses or subjected to annual NCU
applications, renewals, or fees.
Malia Kai has long functioned as a visitor accommodation community. Buyers have invested
there with the reasonable expectation that this use would continue. Applying different rules
to future owners of identical units within the same community would create unnecessary
inequity, confusion, and uncertainty for buyers, lenders, insurers, and title companies while
significantly reducing property values and marketability.
As out-of-state owners, we also use our townhouse personally each year, while rental
income helps offset our mortgage, HOA dues, insurance, maintenance, and increasing
property taxes. Like many owners, we have invested substantially in maintaining and
upgrading our property to meet County requirements and provide a quality experience for
visitors.
Our guests support Kona's local economy by spending at restaurants, shops, grocery stores,
golf courses, tour operators, transportation services, housekeeping companies,
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landscapers, contractors, and many other local businesses. Reducing the value of these
properties would also negatively impact County property tax revenues.
If the County wishes to adopt different policies for future developments, we respectfully ask
that those changes apply prospectively rather than to existing communities and owners who
relied on the County's longstanding regulations.
We respectfully urge the County to preserve the existing lawful status of STVRs at Malia Kai
and similarly situated RM communities by permanently grandfathering these properties as
permitted vacation rentals without requiring annual NCU renewals or fees.
Thank you for your time, your service to our community, and your thoughtful consideration of
the concerns of property owners who have acted in good faith and in full compliance with
County regulations.
Sincerely,
Kalpana Joglekar and Ajit Bodas
Owners, Malia Kai
Kailua-Kona, Hawai ʻ i
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Darrow, Jeffrey W. <jeff.darrow@hawaiicounty.gov>
Date: Sun, Aug 9, 2026 at 9:51 AM
Subject: RE: Request to Preserve Existing STVR Rights at Malia Kai
To: Kal <maliakaikona@gmail.com>
Cc: Planning Internet Mail <planning@hawaiicounty.gov>, Leah Debina <leahd@associahawaii.com>
Aloha Kalpana Joglekar and Ajit Bodas,
Councilmember Kimball is considering possible amendments Bill 147 that will allow existing
RM zoned properties with an existing condo to be permitted for STVRs.
As this bill will be at the County Council shortly, I would request that you also send comments
to the County Council.
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