You may have noticed construction at the intersection of Trancas Canyon Road and Pacific Coast Highway, but don’t get too excited — as you can probably see, it isn’t a right-hand turn lane.
In 2010, the City of Malibu and the property owner of Trancas Country Market, Zuma Properties, agreed to terms that would result in a right-hand turn lane on Pacific Coast Highway that turned onto Trancas Canyon Road. The turn lane would allow speeding cars on PCH to slow down and turn into the local road without the fear of being rear-ended.
Today, construction is underway, but the right-hand turn lane has been abandoned. What happened?
“You have a perfect [blame game],” local activist Hans Laetz said. “Caltrans blames the city, the city blames Caltrans, the developer goes right up the middle and says, ‘You’re not making me do it so I’m not going to do it.’”
Construction on the Trancas Country Market was approved in Jan. 2010, but Laetz appealed the approval soon afterward. He cited specifics in the approved plan that would violate state law and California Coastal Commission requirements.
Representatives of Zuma Properties approached Laetz and the two parties reached a private settlement. The settlement included building a right-hand turn lane from Pacific Coast Highway onto Trancas Canyon Road and other modifications to the development.
As a private citizen, Laetz’s only tool for enforcing his settlement would be through another lengthy and expensive legal action. Typically, a city would work with Caltrans for developments on PCH to address local and state requirements, but according to Laetz, that did not happen for this intersection.
“This is the first big development of PCH. If this was Hawthorne, or Bishop or Santa Ana, the city would’ve known exactly what to do,” Laetz said. “Our staff didn’t.”
With Caltrans overseeing the project, the intersection is under construction but the improvements are based on state standards that are not specific to what the neighborhood necessarily wants. An Americans with Disabilities Act compliant walkway will be added and the bike lane will be restriped.
“Homeowners depended on the city to ensure the right-turn lane was acted on,” former council member Jefferson Wagner said.
Wagner sat on the council that approved the Trancas Country Market plan in 2010 but said the issue has been sitting in “staff Siberia,” where city staff refuse to act unless directed by council members.
“You can’t just wave your finger and make them do it, or it would’ve been done,” Wagner said. “This takes a management effort from the city with Caltrans and with the homeowners weighing in on it.”
Creating a right-hand turn lane has become more complicated. One of Trancas Country Market’s parking lot driveways (or “curb cuts”) is too close to the intersection. Caltrans requires a minimum amount of space prior to a turn lane to allow cars to slow down. The parking lot’s curb cut intrudes into this required space. For compliance to be met, the curb cut would have to be moved, potentially requiring the entire parking lot to be redesigned.
According to Wagner, Zuma Properties violated its agreement with the city by not developing a right-hand turn lane.
Zuma Properties’ representatives said they’ve done everything that’s been asked of them.
“Since assuming ownership of the Trancas Country Market, the owner has collaborated and coordinated with the City of Malibu and other regulatory agencies, including Caltrans, on all permitting matters,” Counsel for Zuma Properties Ken Ehrlich said. “We view all of the documentation regarding a right turn lane differently than Mr. Wagner and Mr. Laetz.”
Wagner said he understands the company’s position.
“They don’t want to reduce their lease area because that’s money. I get it, they’re business people, but somewhere along the line you have to work with the people who live up there.” Wagner said. “If that right hand turn lane was done there’d be a parade.”
Malibu city staff did not respond to requests for comment.