The City Council on Wednesday will consider plans to build a hotel on the site of the old Laie Inn that represent a skirmish over a much larger project that continues to divide Laie.

The issue before the Council is whether to grant a special management area permit to allow construction of a 223-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel next to the Polynesian Cultural Center where the 49-unit Laie Inn used to sit. The inn was torn down in 2009.

Hawaii Reserves Inc., which manages and owns Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints-affiliated property, wants to build the Courtyard by Marriott in heights of one, three and four stories.

The complex would include a swimming pool, a restaurant and banquet facilities on 9.84 acres — along with a bike path and crosswalk to get to the beach on the other side of Kamehameha Highway.

Church officials say the hotel will create 125 jobs and reduce the need for visitors to travel back and forth to the Turtle Bay Resort and as far away as Waikiki for lodging.

Critics worry that the hotel will increase traffic along two-lane Kamehameha Highway, the only road into and out of Laie.

But they’re even more concerned about Hawaii Reserves’ much larger Envision Laie project, which would develop land from Koolaupoko to Kawela.

Church officials insist they need to rezone church-owned agricultural land for shops, churches and 875 new condos, townhouses and single-family homes around Malaekahana to expand Brigham Young University-Hawaii’s 2,400-student population to 5,000 students and to create badly needed jobs and affordable homes for young families.

Many of the same critics opposed to the Courtyard by Marriott hotel question whether there is enough fresh water and sewer capacity for Envision Laie. They insist Envision Laie will change the character around Laie from rural to urban and further clog busy Kamehameha Highway.

The issue has split some families, and public meetings have drawn Envision Laie supporters in powder-blue T-shirts squaring off against opponents in green "Keep the Country Country" T-shirts.

Rezoning agricultural land to allow residential, commercial and industrial mixed uses for Envision Laie could take three to seven years and will require approval from the Planning Commission, City Council and state Land Use Commission.

In the meantime, the Council will consider on Wednesday the lone proposal to build a new hotel at the old Laie Inn site.