The inadequacy of Kahului Harbor and its ability to serve Maui's mushrooming needs has been a growing concern, one that culminated in the recent showdown between the state and Young Brothers Ltd.

Thanks to the efforts of the shipping company and state officials, a crisis was averted. Young Brothers withdrew its request to discontinue "less than container load" cargo service to and from Maui. Under the agreement, this essential function will continue until at least Jan. 1, 2010, while the state makes some short-term improvements to the harbor.

While these fixes buy some time, there needs to be a broader look at what can be done to expand capacity at the harbor. The state projects an October start for the long-awaited Kahului Commercial Harbor 2030 Master Plan, a process delayed, in part, because of controversy over the Superferry project.

The master plan process — which should further examine various impacts posed by the Superferry — needs to begin without further postponement. There's no doubt some long-range improvements will take time to put in place, so the discussions with the community must begin now.

For example, one portion of the harbor breakwater owned by the state, about 28 acres, could be transferred to harbor use. This land had been envisioned as a park, and the public should be involved in discussions about how recreational access to the shoreline could be preserved.

Available land is scarce at the harbor; already it seems that every last square foot is being squeezed. Another small piece, about a half-acre that was formerly assigned to the Superferry project, has been reallocated to Young Brothers as a result of the agreement. Superferry executives say they can reconfigure their operations (changing the procedures for loading and unloading vehicles, for instance) to adapt to a smaller space.

Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa has taken the right tack by working cooperatively with the state on improvements and seeking resolution to problems the Superferry may cause, rather than going to war over this single aspect of harbor operations. Drawing up the 2030 blueprint will enable greater airing of community concerns and ideas — two-way communication that should have been a greater part of Superferry planning.

Everyone acknowledges that scarcity of harbor space limits the solutions a master plan could uncover, but any potential is worth exploring. The openness of the process may generate creative thinking. This is worthwhile in itself.