HILO, Hawai'i — Most residents of largely rural Ka'u believe a hotel and condominium complex proposed for Punalu'u would be too big for their small community, a survey commissioned by Hawai'i County said.

The 100-page report on the plan shows residents are concerned their infrastructure and social services would not be able to absorb the influx of visitors and workers that would accompany a 350-room hotel and 1,000 single-family homes and condominiums.

Even so, the study said residents are worried about a lack of jobs in their community.

"People want to take care of both the natural resources and their families," the report said. "They are also concerned about the extent of long commutes out of the area for those who have jobs and the exodus from the area of young people who do not have jobs."

The report, which the county paid James Kent Associates $80,000 to complete, will be released early this week before the County Council meets in Kailua, Kona.

James Kent Associates is a consulting firm with offices in Kailua, Kona; Oregon; and Colorado.

Mayor Harry Kim asked for the study as part of an effort to find common ground between those for and against the Punalu'u development proposed by Sea Mountain Five LLC.

The project has fueled a contentious debate about the appropriate way to pursue development and protect natural resources.

Some Big Island residents have opposed the new hotel and homes, saying they will ruin the natural beauty of the beach at Punalu'u and threaten wildlife such as the endangered hawksbill turtle.

A Hawai'i County Council committee in July voted unanimously to try to buy 150 acres owned by Sea Mountain fronting Punalu'u Black Sand Beach, a step that would effectively thwart the project.

But the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142 says the development would revitalize a region hit hard by the closing of sugar plantations.

Seven James Kent Associates employees spoke with more than 500 Ka'u residents between Aug. 2 and Sept. 7 at churches, community organizations, local gathering places and public events.

The two main questions the survey field team focused on, according to a report summary, were: "What do people in Ka'u want for their future?" and "What balance is possible between conservation of resources and economic health of the community, especially related to the Sea Mountain Five proposal?"

The report said residents want some form of economic development but want to be very careful about what it is.

"People are most concerned about the scale of development. They want controlled development to avoid the problems of Waikiki, Honolulu and Kona, and to maintain the rural character of Ka'u," the report said.