Moloka'i Properties Ltd.'s plan to develop high-end housing lots at La'au Point on Moloka'i took a step forward after the company filed four applications with the Maui County Planning Department.

The company said yesterday it filed for a community plan amendment, change in zoning and a county special management area permit for the residential project. The company said it also filed for a county special-use permit for a wastewater treatment plant.

Moloka'i Ranch's efforts to develop about 200 one-acre housing lots at La'au Point has split the Moloka'i community. Some say the development will encroach on traditional fishing grounds and will change the island's traditional way of life by attracting wealthy Mainland investors.

Others support the plan, which also involves conveying most of Moloka'i Ranch land to a community trust for perpetual preservation.

Earlier this month, Moloka'i Properties submitted a more than 1,000-page draft environmental impact statement, which the company says attempts to address the community's concerns. The 45-day public comment period on the draft EIS began on Dec. 23 and runs through Feb. 6.