This is in response to a statement in Vicky Newman’s article on code enforcement [Feb. 17, “Are we a city of snitches …?” ], where she said that I was instrumental in crafting the General Plan for Malibu. I certainly do not want to take credit for the General Plan. For the record, I did not serve on the Genera Plan Task Force.
I did, however, attend the majority of the planning sessions. I was critical of the 477 policies and implementation measures that the task force produced. All through the process of the General Plan and ensuing workshops, public hearings, etc. I was concerned about and vocal about the fact that the body of the General Plan was not a “general” plan. Instead our General Plan is a very restrictive and controlling instrument.
I advocated a grandfather clause “creating an exemption based on circumstances previously existing” for existing structures build before the city of Malibu incorporated in 1991. This grandfather clause was not included in the General Plan. Our General Plan makes much of what existed at that time nonconforming. The code enforcement issue is pointing this out.
The code enforcement is a sample of some of the problems in our very restrictive and discretionary General Plan and how that plans does have an effect on single-family homes.
Judy Decker