Residents, labor union members and farmers packed a room at Kapo-lei Hale Monday night and debated whether Hoopili, a proposed 1,554-acre development plan by D.R. Horton-Schuler Homes, should be built on prime agricultural land between Ewa and Kapo-lei.

“We’re the only island that cannot handle if disruption” of our food supply should occur by hurricane or strike, Wai-anae farmer Ken Koike said. He implored the City Council to dig deep to find solutions to providing food for Oahu, which is the only county that lacks a plan to provide for its residents, he said.

“We cannot have bruddah fighting bruddah over essentials,” he told the City Council Zoning and Planning Committee, acknowledging the heavy presence of construction labor union members wearing orange T-shirts.

Of the 1,554 acres, only 500 to 600 acres will be dedicated for residential use, said company President Bob Bruhl. Of the 11,750 homes, 70 percent would be high-end.

Of the 30 percent affordable units, or 3,525 homes, the majority will be multifamily townhouses or condominium units. Roughly 200 to 250 acres would be to develop commercial, industrial and mixed-use areas, Bruhl said.

About 200 acres will be set aside for small farms.

More testimony on the project will be taken at 

9 a.m. Thursday at Honolulu Hale, where the committee will vote on the measure to change zoning from agricultural to allow for residential, commercial-industrial and mixed use. Bill 3 will still require another committee vote and two more approvals of the full Council.