While he scheduled the special meeting in Kihei at the request of committee members, Chairman Mike Molina said Tuesday that he didn't hear anything new in the public testimony during the session held at night to accommodate people who could not attend a day meeting.

Many of the same people repeated either their opposition or support of the project that's bound to change the face of South Maui, if approved, he told The Maui News.

"There were a couple of new faces, but many of them I had seen before," he said.

For the special meeting that began at 6 p.m., 139 people signed up to testify on Honua'ula. Only 77 spoke up as of 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. Molina called all the people who signed up to testify, but because of the late hour, many of them left before the committee recessed the session held at the Kihei Community Center.

The committee is reviewing a request from the Honua'ula development group for zoning changes and a project district amendment to the Kihei-Makena Community Plan. The request is to allow the project to modify project district approvals granted in the 1990 community plan for two golf courses, 2,600 housing units and a resort.

Today, the former Wailea 670 project is proposed for 1,400 housing units, of which half would be be built as affordable in compliance with the county's Residential Workforce Housing Policy. Honua'ula also would have commercial space and one private golf course.

Today's committee meeting will be held in the Council Chambers on the eighth floor of Kalana O Maui.

The council's Land Use Committee opened deliberations on Honua'ula with two days of public testimony in July. At least five more sessions followed, with committee members conducting detailed discussions on 33 proposed conditions for the project.

One of the most critical issues for Honua'ula will involve water, which Molina said opponents pounded on as a problem on Monday night.

"There is no water for this," said Mary Groode.

The Kihei resident said she had submitted written testimony in the past on the project, but not until Monday night did she have a chance to show up for a public hearing.

Groode said the county already has 3,000-plus committed and approved single-family, multifamily, time-share and hotel units. Another 5,617 are designated; and about 4,017 are proposed, according to Groode.

"We need a moratorium on development," she said.

A resident on Maui for 30 years, Groode said she's never had to conserve water until now, even during a previous seven-year island drought.

"We need to save the water that we have to supply affordable housing, a hospital and a high school," she said. "After these things, which we need, are built, we could consider a development of more million-dollar homes and golf courses."

On Tuesday morning, Honua'ula representative Charlie Jencks reiterated that Honua'ula is prepared to develop its own water source with two wells on site with a capacity of 1 million gallons per day. In addition, Honua'ula is in discussions about an additional, nearby water source on Haleakala Ranch property.

"I have the water," Jencks said.

Both Molina and Jencks acknowledged that the majority of the public testimony presented Monday night was in opposition to the project, a stark contrast to a January 2006 public hearing in Kihei, in which a majority of people testified in support of the development.

Molina said he has tried to give both sides as much time as possible to express their thoughts and feelings on the project. On Monday, testifiers were given three minutes to speak, and then another minute to wrap up, the standard limit for public testimony at council meetings.

Molina said he was grateful that through all of the emotional testimony presented, most of the people respected each other's opinions. There was at least one instance when a person booed the other side, and another time when Molina had to pound his gavel and ask the audience to show courtesy and respect.

"It could have been worse," he said. "I'm glad we did not have to have police involved."

Jencks said he understands and supports the need to provide people with the opportunity to express their opinion on development proposals like his.

"I don't begrudge people that right," he said.

In regard to the housing, many of those testifying questioned the affordability of the homes. Jencks promised Tuesday that his project would comply with the county's Residential Workforce Policy, which requires that 40 percent to 50 percent of all units in new housing projects be priced under federal median income guidelines.

Depending on family income, Honua'ula prices would range from $214,760 for a one-bedroom home to $423,480 for a four-bedroom home.

Developer Jesse Spencer testified in support of Honua'ula, indicating his interest in building the first 200 homes for the project. Jencks said Honua'ula would be interested in a partnership with Spencer building the affordable units.

"I think he does a good job. Why not? He builds a good product," Jencks said.

With recent hearings running over the course of two months, Molina said he might have to defer Honua'ula until October. He said his committee has other issues it must address soon, including three to four conditional permits for transient vacation rentals. At least two of the permit applications had been deferred from the year before.

Molina said his goal as chairman would be for the committee to recommend a decision on Honua'ula before the end of the year. Final council action on any bills for the project would require two readings.

Monday night's meeting was scheduled after three council members – Michelle Anderson, who holds the South Maui residency seat, and Jo Anne Johnson and Mike Victorino – requested a public hearing on the Honua'ula bills. The council members still have the option of calling again for a public hearing before the council takes final action on any bills.

"It's a case of stay tuned," Molina said.