The Hawaii Kai neighborhood board is throwing the spotlight on a plan to develop prime land acoss from Maunalua Bay with Foodland as a possible anchor tenant.

Some call it the "great lawn."

It is four acres  along the highway that is zoned for preservation.  But, residents who use the adjacent dog park fear they may be displaced by a new Foodland store.

"Having Foodland back would be a good thing, but not at the expense of the dog park," said Musashi Cibulka.

"We don't need another shopping center, but I think we need more dog parks," said Sherri Higa.

Pet owners stopped at the park before heading to the Tuesday evening meeting to speak their minds.

"It's just not going to work.  They are going to move us down to that small space down there and you get a small space, you get dog fights," said Sally Flinn.  "We want Foodland back, just not here."

"I would be really sad and disappointed if they developed this area but we live in a society where if you own the land you get to do with what behooves you to do the best to do with that land," said Linda Vanatta.

"Adding another shopping center with the traffic on Kalanianaole would be horrible. It's going to cause traffic jams, and more traffic accidents," said Nicolas Bromolow.

At the neighborhood board meeting Tuesday night, members were taking up a resolution to support the community's sustainability plan, which calls for preserving open spaces and limiting the expansion of commercial activity.

“We are not specifically addressing the plan about putting Foodland on the parcel, but rather how important the zoning is for preservation status and whether that should be maintained.  We have always supported preservation of existing zoning and open space and protecting view planes and just really the quality of life back here that makes Hawaii Kai so special," said Board Chairman Greg Knudsen.