The Honolulu City Council Zoning and Planning Committee intends to consider a planning document for the North Shore on Thursday that includes a highly debated proposal to allow a new residential community in Malaekahana.

But the committee’s chairman Ikaika Anderson opposes the new homes, arguing that they are contrary to the Oahu General Plan. Anderson introduced amendments to Bill 47, known as the Koolauloa Sustainable Communities Plan, that remove all references to a residential community at Malaekahana.

The planned homes are part of a project known as Envision Laie that’s backed by Hawaii Reserves Inc., a company that manages land owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Supporters say that adding 800 homes on ranchland in Malaekahana would help ease the affordable housing crisis. But opponents argue that would worsen traffic on the two-lane highway and ruin the rural lifestyle.

The hearing is at 10 a.m. on Thursday at Honolulu Hale. Click here to read the agenda and the amendments.

Read more about the issue here: Two Visions of Laie: Plans for North Shore Growth Debated