PUPUKEA — A public hearing for a proposed 25-home subdivision near Waimea Bay left some North Shore residents more convinced that the project is not right for the community.

But a planner for the project said zoning and other requirements have been met and plans have been made to address residents' concerns.

Among them is keeping density down to less than half of what is allowed to be built. The property, totaling more than seven acres, is zoned R-5, a designation that allows one house lot per 5,000 square feet. At that rate, each acre could have about eight house lots.

"If you maximize the density, you're certainly looking at a lot more house lots than we're currently proposing," said Chester Koga, project planner for RM Towill.

New subdivisions are rare on the North Shore mostly because there are few R-5 properties available.

Members of the Burger family, who own the land, want to consolidate their land and subdivide it into 25 house lots ranging in size from 7,500 to 13,000 square feet. The property is in Kawailoa about a half-mile on the Hale'iwa side of Waimea Valley. The project needs an Special Management Area Use Permit.

The plan would allow three Burger siblings to rebuild and retain four old family homes on the property, which have been in the family for generations, and sell the remaining lots.

Residents attending a city Department of Planning and Permitting hearing for the permit Wednesday worried about ocean pollution from septic systems, traffic congestion at the subdivision on Kamehameha Highway and adequate drainage control from the properties.

There were questions about an archeological study on the property, runoff during construction that could dump sediment into the ocean and whether the plan fits with the North Shore Sustainable Communities Plan. Even the timing of the meeting was questioned. The mid-morning meeting made it impossible for people who work to attend, participants complained. About 20 people attended, and five testified.

"I'm not against property development on the North Shore per se," said Warren Scoville, a Kawailoa resident and North Shore Neighborhood Board member. "I believe in private property owners' right to develop their land if they jump through all the hoops and comply with all the laws, regulations and rules."

Koga answered questions concerning processes used to determine such things as the need for detention basins to catch rainfall runoff. He also said the archeological survey and research found no remains.

Regardless, he said, "If iwi (bones) is out there ... we'll provide a buffer for protection or relocation so it will not be disturbed."

The state Department of Transportation decided that no turning lanes would be needed if no new accesses were created on Kamehameha Highway, Koga said. All of the new homes except two will enter the subdivision from the existing driveway, Koga said.

He also discussed concerns about the sewage aerobic system that will be used and must be recertified every year. The fully contained system would separate solids and treat the wastewater that will go through a series of chambers and microbacterial process, he said.

With adequate filtering and additional disinfection, "the water is good enough to use for irrigation," Koga said. "To answer questions about having the surfers finding fecal matter in the ocean, it's not going to come from this system," he said. "It's coming from cesspools or some system failing in the area."

Kawailoa resident Mineko Zeidlhack wasn't satisfied with Koga's response to questions about the archeological survey and traffic concerns.

Traffic has worsened in the past five years and getting on and off Kamehameha Highway is risky, she said.

"Some days you can sit there and wait three or four minutes before you can safely get on the highway and still that's a terror," Zeidlhack said.

Scoville said he was surprised to learn that turning lanes and acceleration and deceleration lanes were not required as part of the project. He called for a full archeological survey and check of soil conditions that could hamper drainage and the installation of the sewage systems.

The developer just cares about making money and doesn't seem to care about what North Shore residents want, he said.

"Basically it's no more development," Scoville said. "Let's not pave over paradise."

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com.