HONOLULU -- A community group calling itself Keep the North Shore Country filed a lawsuit on Friday against the city and the company that wants to build five hotels near the Turtle Bay Resort.

The resort project would build two hotels on scenic Kawela Bay, with two more next to the Turtle Bay Resort, and a fifth down the beach.

The Kuilima Resort Co. said it has the necessary environmental impact statement to go through with its multimillion-dollar project. But Keep the North Shore Country complains that the statement was done 20 years ago, when the project was first proposed.

"I was about 8 or 9 years old when the current environmental impact statement was approved, and 20 years is a very long time. I think there have been significant changes to the environment, to the infrastructure out there," said Doug Cole, of Keep the North Shore Country.

So, the newly formed community group is suing to require a supplemental environmental impact statement.

"Because the 1985 EIS is based on those lower traffic estimates and outdated environmental data, it likely underestimates the impact this proposed development will have on the area today," Keep the North Shore Country attorney Laura P. Couch said.

"The public has been asking for some input and for the EIS, and yet there's been no word from the city," said Gil Riviere, of Keep the North Shore Country.

The city said that's because it's already getting sued.

"We believe many of those issues raised are likely to be similar to those raised by another lawsuit brought by (union) Local 5, which is still pending in the courts," city spokesman Bill Brennan said.

That lawsuit is also asking for a supplemental environmental impact statement, and city attorneys are telling city officials not to talk until the case is over.

Keep the North Shore Country said it hopes its case never reaches a courtroom.