COEUR d'ALENE - A decision whether to recommend approval for the proposed 612-acre Hayden Canyon development plan will have to wait at least another week.

The Hayden Planning Commission scheduled deliberations on the proposal to begin at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 6 at the Kootenai County Administration Building in Coeur d'Alene after listening to five plus hours of testimony Thursday on the contested plan.

"This is a complex issue for us with a tremendous amount of testimony and information for us to sift through," said Sam Ross, chairman. "It's getting late."

First proposed in Hayden in 2005, the plan is to create a mixed-use neighborhood development called Hayden Canyon, with 1,823 residential units between Government Way and Strahorn Road, most of it north of Lancaster Road.

Before the board Thursday was whether to recommend the planned unit development plan review for adoption or denial to the Hayden City Council.

Public testimony on the project was nearly split in favor and opposition, with roughly two dozen on each side.

Concerns ranged from neighbors who said the development would bring in too much traffic in too dense an area, and that overbuilding could flood the residential and commercial market since so many properties are vacant as it is. They also worried about maintenance problems, as well as building too close to the Coeur d'Alene Airport being a potential safety concern. Those who supported it said it could bring an economic, aesthetic and infrastructure boost to the area.

Supporters also said the 247 acres dedicated to open space, including the scenic Hayden Canyon, and the space for a public park, possible school and community center would benefit everyone.

The developer, Glen Lanker, architect and operating partner of Hayden Canyon Land, LLC., said he was encouraged by the turnout and questions, as well as the show of support.

"We look forward to the deliberations," he said after the meeting ended.

In 2008, opposition was strong as the developer attempted to annex the one-square-mile property into city boundaries. The City Council denied the annexation requests before bringing the topic back to the council, which approved it later that year since the development could have been done through the county.

In 2006, Lanker withdrew a similar plan as the city updated its comprehensive plan.

Public testimony on the plan is now closed. The meeting July 6 will only be for the commission's deliberations and recommendation.

That recommendation will go to the City Council, in a public meeting but without more testimony.

If it's approved, lot lines would have to be established through the subdivision process that would go back to the planning commission for a public hearing. That recommendation would also go to the City Council, along with the final approval of the PUD.