I find it very interesting that so many people are writing the Times to express concern over the disappearance of mom and pop and more local-oriented stores and services.
Fellow Malibuites, you all had a chance to avoid this predictable outcome. Measure M was a fair proposal offering ball fields and retail that would have catered more to us rather than to tourists.
The Perenchio family (AKA Malibu Bay Company) was vilified as evil authors of this measure. For all of your information, the Perenchios actually live here and cared about the nature of our town, contrary to the rhetoric spewed by slow growth extremists. This caused the “sale” of Malibu to be facilitated since property owners like the Perenchios were not allowed to make a fair return on their real estate investments. The collateral effect of extreme slow growth is that the laws of supply and demand have affected real estate costs, driving up rents since there is a paucity of available space in Malibu. Now much of Malibu retail real estate is owned by outside owners who only care about profit. Chain stores and high-end retail are the only tenants who can afford to rent retail space.
It is easy to see in retrospect how “slow growth” advocates have created an environment where we have now lost much of what has always made Malibu charming. What a paradox. This is yet another example, albeit a less serious one compared to other relevant historical examples, where extremists have gained access to the political process and caused a bad outcome.
Matt Borenzweig