When it comes to putting 180 cabins on 181 acres above Hawai'i Kai clearly designated as preservation land, Honolulu officials should keep in mind a simple principle: Zoning laws intended to protect Hawai'i's scenic and open spaces must be fully respected.

The real intent of such laws — the long-term preservation of our natural landscape— must be top of mind in deciding the fate of the East O'ahu parcel.

Developer QRM wants to build dozens of 800-square-foot vacation cabins and a 7,500-square-foot recreation center in the hills above the Hawai'i Kai Golf Course, and on the mauka side of the Kalaniana'ole Highway, near the trail to Makapu'u Lighthouse.

The city's rejection of QRM's plans to develop on the land near the Ka Iwi Shoreline was far from a resounding denial. Henry Eng, director of the Department of Planning and Permitting, told the company the plans were incomplete because it didn't show the cabins as a secondary use to the outdoor recreation.

The implication there is that with different language, cabins on land zoned for preservation could be seen as amenable.

Clearly, 180 cabins on open space above Hawai'i Kai will have a significant impact. Yet by pursuing a conditional use permit, usually set aside for projects with minimal impact, the developer is not required to hold public hearings nor obtain City Council approval. All it needs is approval from Eng and his department.

That makes it imperative that the city uphold the intent of the preservation zoning.

This is one of the few undeveloped and open spaces left on O'ahu. Any change to this rare resource must come only after full and open debate.

If QRM wants its development, it should come back with an application for a zoning change and be prepared to defend it before the City Council, Hawai'i Kai residents and the general public.