Malibu has new stores that sell $800 t-shirts, but local businesses that serve people who live there are on the endangered species list. Malibu residents are already angry at the loss of many independent resident-serving businesses in recent years and that national chain stores are advertising Malibu as a trophy, prestige regional retail shopping destination.
Residents are worried that the vacant land at the Civic Center could host one million square feet of new regional shopping centers. The population of residents is less than 13,000 and there are 13 million visitors to Malibu annually. Residents and beach visitors alike deserve a Malibu coastline that is a beach-oriented community, not a regional shopping mall, with safe and sustainable water, waste disposal, parking, traffic and disaster planning. Malibu’s environment is fragile with infrastructure that cannot support malls.
Malibu residents view themselves as stewards of the coast. We do not want the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area filled with chain stores or businesses that do not meet the needs of beach visitors and residents, cannot meet water conservation standards, cannot dispose of waste, cannot provide enough parking, cannot ensure the safety of drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists on Pacific Coast Highway, and cannot be safely evacuated in case of fire, earthquake, and other disasters.