The commission voted 7-0 with one abstention and another member absent in favor of approving a 571-acre Koa Ridge "Makai" and 190-acre Waiawa parcels for planned residential development and a medical community. Another parcel being requested for development, Koa Ridge "Mauka" at 485 acres was denied by the commission.

While the nine-member commission is scheduled to take a final vote on the project on June 21, today's vote was important because the commission decided how much acreage could be approved.

But in what may be an unpredecented move, the commission also made a statement on traffic and education concerns in fast-developing Central O'ahu. Also approved for next week's vote is an amendment requiring that an area school be built before people can move into the new development.

Usually, the state builds a school after a sizable population has moved into a new area.

Officials of developer Castle & Cooke were stunned by the education amendment, while opponents of the project were ecstatic.

"Will this jeopardize our project? It may," said Castle & Cooke Homes Hawai'i president Harry Saunders. "We're going to have to take a long, hard look at this decision. It leaves open a lot of questions of who is responsible in building and opening the school."

All three Castle & Cooke parcels proposed for development totalled about 1,250 acres, which concerned area residents over traffic congestion and overcrowding in the schools.