Two neighborhood boards representing Mililani, Mililani Mauka and surrounding communities are urging residents to attend a discussion on the city's Central O'ahu Sustainable Communities Plan, which provides for eventual development of up to 25,000 new homes by 2025.

Richard Poirier, chairman of the Mililani/Waipi'o/Melemanu Neighborhood Board, describes the plan, adopted in 2002 during Mayor Jeremy Harris' administration, as "legalized sprawl." The plan estimates a population growth from 149,000 in 2000 to more than 173,000 in 2025. Poirier said those 24,000 additional people will have a big impact on transportation and education.

Melissa Graffigna, chairwoman of the Mililani Mauka/Laulani Valley Neighborhood Board, said the plan does not address community concerns. "It's three-quarters finalized, and once it goes through (in 2007), we won't be able to make changes."

"Many in the community are unaware of the plan, and we need to get the word out to them," Graffigna said.

The Central O'ahu plan provides for the eventual development of up to 25,000 new homes in master-planned residential developments at Mililani Mauka, Koa Ridge Makai, Waiawa and Royal Kunia. New jobs would be created in existing commercial and industrial areas, including Mililani Technology Park, and in new commercial areas designed to serve their surrounding communities. The plan also calls for a new medical park at Koa Ridge.

One stated aim is to relieve development pressures on urban and rural fringe areas such as Wai'anae, the North Shore, Ko'olauloa, Ko'olau Poko and East Honolulu, so "as to preserve the country lifestyle of the rural areas and sustain the stable, low-density residential character of the urban fringe areas."

"What needs to be done with the plan," Poirier said, "is to develop a strategy, taking into account what we the community want."

Poirier said the commute to downtown can only get worse than it is now. "If it takes 1 1/4 hours to go 17 miles now, OMPO (the O'ahu Metropolitan Planning Organization) estimates by the year 2030 it's going to take more than two hours to get into town."

Poirier is hoping to get enough support to have the city's Department of Planning & Permitting consider a moratorium on the plan.

One of Graffigna's concerns is that the plan does not provide for development of roads, homes and schools concurrently.

"It shouldn't be homes first, but roads, homes and schools all together, so there is no huge impact," Graffigna said.

Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.