I have the privilege of serving on the View Protection Task Force appointed by the City Council to help implement Measure E from the April election advising the Council to enact an ordinance requiring removal or trimming of landscaping to restore ocean, mountain and other views. Although we are not reinventing the wheel (since there are court-approved and functioning View Protection Ordinances in numerous cities around California), there are many questions to be examined in crafting a balanced, effective ordinance for Malibu, including:
How should a view be defined? From what portions of a residence must a view be observed in order to be protectable? How far from an offending landscape can an individual live and still be able to file a claim to restore a view? When is obstructing someone’s view reasonable and when is it unreasonable? How active should the City be in enforcing an ordinance in determining and actually restoring views?
Our Task Force meets approximately monthly in lively public sessions. The public is encouraged to attend, participate in the debate and share view-related problems and experiences to help shape the recommendations to the Council. Extensive public participation is critical.
Task Force agendas, minutes and schedules are available on the City website and our sessions can be viewed on City TV-3. Our next scheduled meetings, in the Council chambers, are Friday, Nov. 14, 3 p.m. to 5, and Tuesday, Dec. 9, 6 p.m. to 8. Hopefully the public will be well represented.
Barry Tyerman