KAILUA — An unusually contentious Neighborhood Board election in Kailua could be a pivotal point that determines whether the town remains a largely residential community or continues to grow into a more commercial center, residents said.

Long-simmering tension over traffic congestion, commercial use of the beach and transient vacation rentals has led to a battle for Kailua's board in voting that begins this week. While Neighborhood Board elections are often ho-hum affairs with many seats uncontested, Kailua has 32 candidates vying for 19 board seats.

"It seems to be a really important moment in Kailua's history, with so much divisiveness. You've got the people who don't want Kailua to change and those who think you can't do anything to stop it from changing," said Libby Tomar, an estate attorney and community activist who is running as a challenger for a seat on the board.

"It feels like we're at a crossroads. We seem to be in a fight for the very future of Kailua, to see what direction it is going to go," added Kalana Best, an incumbent seeking re-election to the Kailua board.

Faith Evans, the only member of the current board not seeking re-election, said: "Kailua is a place where people care deeply about the community, and they don't wait for the next guy to take care of something. With so much happening that could change Kailua, it's not surprising that so many people want to be heard on the board."

While many of the candidates say they are running to offer new eyes and ears to the board, it's clear the ongoing debate over transient vacation rentals is the issue that has prompted some newcomers to jump into the race.

Although new permitted vacation rentals have been banned since 1989, hundreds of illegal ones have sprung up in Windward O'ahu and elsewhere.

The Kailua Neighborhood Board has voted several times in recent years to maintain the ban, reflecting the opinion of those who believe the vacation rentals contribute to growing congestion and commercialization in what has long been seen as a primarily residential community.

Others believe it's time for the board to recognize the changing reality of the town of 50,000 and at least allow the permitting of some of the illegal operations.

"It's a very emotional time, and my top concern on the board would be to see that whatever decision is made, it's a fair one and everybody is treated fairly," Tomar said.

The emotion is already showing up in what used to be placid campaigning for board positions.

Promotional material for a recent meet-the-new-candidates forum, in which incumbents were not invited to participate, contained the charge that "most people on the board are NIMBYs (Not In My Back Yard) or CAVE (Citizens Against Virtually Everything) people. They still believe in the Kailua of the '50s. We need new members who are more in touch with today's Kailua. ..." The forum was sponsored by a group called Concerned Citizens of Kailua.

Evans, a former head of the U.S. Marshal's Office in Honolulu, said board members, many of whom have served in the nonpaying positions for more than a decade, have worked hard to address all community concerns. "You don't see all the hours and hours that are spent in committee meetings. We're an advisory group, but we get a lot done," she said.

Josh Rubino, a 27-year-old former Marine who works in real estate and lives in Kailua, said he thinks the existing board doesn't reflect the changing nature of the town, which has seen a revitalized urban center and other growth in the past few years.

"The board members tend to do what they think, but they aren't listening to the community members who like some change," Rubino said. "At a board meeting, person after person will tell the board we don't want you to do something, and then they'll go ahead and do it anyway. I want to be part of changing that."

Jon Chinen, who first joined the Kailua board in 1999 while he was still a high school student and is seeking re-election this year, disagreed. "There are a lot of big issues going around, and we always listen, discuss, argue and debate before voting," Chinen said.

Best, who was appointed to fill a vacancy on the board last year, said she feels the board is sometimes unfairly marked as anti-tourist because of its stance against the transient rental operators. "We're not anti-visitor; we're pro-residential," she said.

Reach Mike Leidemann at mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.