MTC hosts open forum

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Given the Malibu Township Council’s support of Measure P, opponents to the measure felt they did not get a fair share of time to speak at a recent MTC discussion on Saturday, while proponent Ozzie Silna did.

David Kagon, an attorney, and Ted Vaill, who was recently appointed to the city Planning Commission, both attended the discussion on behalf of opponents to Measure P, a controversial measure that would require Malibu residents to vote on any commercial or industrial development project exceeding 25,000 square feet.

Silna, who joined the two and moderator Frank Basso, vice president of the MTC, at the meeting, said Measure P would save the day.

“We’ve been depicted as no growth people,” he said. “That’s not true. We believe in reasonable growth.”

Trusting Malibu residents’ knowledge about the measure, Silna indicated Measure P is based on the fact that residents can help set guidelines on what is reasonable development.

Proposition P is legal; it is consistent with other measures in other cities, said Silna.

“The only way we can do anything appropriate in the Civic Center is by cooperating,” he said.

Kagon, responding with a sarcastic tone, said, “Ozzie has told you everything you’re supposed to believe. Cooperating, however, is not what he has done.”

Kagon said that for a year and a half he and 10 others have worked on a specific plan for the Civic Center area. The city spent $300,000 on consultants and the plan that came out of the meetings died when it arrived in front of the council at the time, he said.

“There is nothing I’d like more to do then sit down and cooperate,” said Kagon. “You can anticipate this whole thing will be litigated.”

Anyone who tries to cooperate with property owners in the Civic Center area is immediately looked upon as a prodeveloper, criticized Kagon.

Vaill supported Kagon’s statement.

“I think MBC wants a deal supported by the majority of the community,” said Vaill.

The proponents of P state that Measure N, a city backed version of P that would require voters to decide on any development covering more than 30 acres, is badly written, saying loopholes exist.

What about those properties, like MBC’s that have 29.3 acres, they asked.

This question remained largely unanswered as the debate went on. “There is nothing sinister about N,” said Vaill. “It could apply to other properties in the future, too.”

However, Silna said, “Two MBC properties would not fall under that umbrella and nothing will address them, that’s why P becomes important.”

Kagon responded that N also addresses properties in the Point Dume area.

The panelists talked about the size of the current shopping centers in the Civic Center, which total 300,000 square feet together, they said.

Under the Ad Hoc committee set up by the City Council for the purpose of making an agreement with the MBC, 260,000 square feet would be added to the area, which is too much in Silna’s opinion, while the others said this was quite a bit of progress since 500,000 square feet were proposed at first.

If P passes, residents will be obligated to fight for it in court, said opponents.

“It eliminates the city’s ability to negotiate on any of the proposed projects,” said Vaill.

Kagon added to the comment, assuming that P passes, and objections are overcome, “You are now going to vote on 10 to 11 applications,” he said.

“It will only delay the process,” he added.

Silna, responding to opponents who say Measure P is not legal, said that to back up their belief in the measure, proponents said they will put up a bond of $100,000 to defend the proposition should it be challenged in court.