With discussions still going strong at 8 p.m., Land Use Chairman Mike Molina recessed the session until 1:30 p.m. Friday in the Council Chambers.

Committee discussions opened with a heated difference of opinion between Molina and Council Member Michelle Anderson, who holds the seat for the South Maui residency district, which is where Honua'ula, also known as the Wailea 670 project district, is planned.

Anderson criticized Molina's announced plans for conducting the meeting – which followed more than eight hours of public testimony over two days. Molina responded he would conduct his committee meeting "as I see fit."

After three hours, Molina acknowledged the meeting had gotten off to a "rocky start" but said it was because of the passion of individuals for and against the project plans balanced against his desire to come to a decision.

The development group, Wailea 670 Associates, is seeking a modification of the project district zoning for Honua'ula. At the opening of Wednesday's sessions, Molina announced that committee would begin reviewing conditions recommended for the proposal for 1,400 housing units, a golf course and a commercial center.

Committee members listened to hours of passionate testimony last week for and against the project on a open site mauka of the Wailea Resort and south of the Maui Meadows rural-residential subdivision.

Molina said he wanted to find consensus on approximately 33 proposed conditions that were formulated when the project first was recommended for approval by the Maui Planning Commission in 2001.

But only one condition – involving a required management plan for the intrusion of axis deer and pigs on the property – went unquestioned by the council committee.

The rest of the conditions – the majority of which Anderson indicated required more questioning – must still be reviewed.

Anderson said she did not believe that council members could make an informed decision on the proposed condition unless questions about water, Honua'ula's application and mitigating factors were answered.

Molina allowed for a few questions, but after the first 15 minutes of Anderson's inquiries, Molina pounded his gavel to recess the meeting, cutting off Anderson as she tried to ask about the completeness of Honua'ula's application for rezoning.

Anderson raised her voice to complete the question she was posing to county planner Clayton Yoshida. Molina interrupted her, asking her to allow Yoshida to answer. Anderson said she had not finished her question, leading Molina to recess the meeting.

"You don't need to point your finger at me," Anderson told Molina during the recess.

"I'm not going to let this turn into a circus," Molina responded, telling Anderson that he would not allow her to continue unless she conducted herself appropriately.

After the recess, Yoshida asked Anderson to repeat her question about how the Planning Department could find Honua'ula's application complete without findings of fact and conclusions of law.

Deputy Corporation Counsel James Giroux, who advises the Maui Planning Commission and the Planning Department during its meetings, explained that a 2001 report prepared by a county planner was adopted as the commission's findings of fact and conclusions of law. Anderson requested a written opinion from Giroux on the Planning Department's determination that there was a completed application.

The current request from Wailea 670 Associates is a reduction in density of the development originally designated in the Kihei-Makena Community Plan and granted project district zoning for two golf courses, 2,600 housing units and a resort.

The revised Honua'ula plan has been stalled in the council over the past two years, facing opposition based on concerns there would not be sufficient water, it would increase traffic in South Maui, and would overwhelm schools in the district.

Opponents also charged that Honua'ula was an unnecessary development of multimillion-dollar homes and claimed that the plans failed to adequately protect 100 acres of native dryland forest.

Those testifying in support of the development praised its project design and promise to have 50 percent, or about 700 units, priced as affordable housing for Maui families.

Honua'ula representative Charlie Jencks, a former county public works director, told council members Wednesday night that he did not believe they would find another project willing to agree to the proposed conditions. He encouraged both Anderson and Council Member Jo Anne Johnson – who both indicated they had numerous concerns about the impact of the project – to suggest other conditions.

Conditions already proposed include requiring the developer to pay school impact fees, pay transportation improvement and impact fees, mitigate cultural impacts, fork out a $5 million contribution for a South Maui park and provide affordable housing.

On Wednesday, the council committee continued to question Jenck's assertions that Honua'ula would develop its own water sources.