Rancho Malibu Hotel Proposal Predicts Jobs, Traffic, Noise

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A rendering of the proposed 146-room hotel. 

The City of Malibu has released an environmental study on a hotel project its developer believes would be the “single-largest economic generator in the city.” 

The 275,000-square-foot development, in one form or another, has been in the works since 1984 and is now known as the Rancho Malibu Hotel Project. 

The city’s draft environmental impact report (DEIR) outlines potential impacts the project could have on traffic, noise and cultural resources. The report, available at malibucity.org, is hundreds of pages long and broken up into eight sections, 13 sub-sections and seven appendices. 

Local developer Richard Weintraub owns the property and touts the proposed hotel as a boon to the local economy. Separate from the DEIR, a 2012 economic report solicited by Weintraub’s development agency, Green Acres, estimated the Rancho Malibu Hotel would cost $138.5 million to build, provide 910 construction jobs and generate $48.3 million in annual revenues once built. Weintraub also estimates 300-400 full-time employees would work at the luxury hotel once it’s up and running. 

The project 

The project site sits on the northeast corner of the Malibu Canyon Road and Pacific Coast Highway intersection, across from Pepperdine University. Weintraub purchased the land in 1999. Plans for the luxury center include 146 hotel rooms, a four-story underground parking structure, 19 two-story secondary hotel buildings, retail spaces, a restaurant and bar, swimming pools, conference centers and ballrooms on 16.5 acres of a 27.8-acre site, according to the DEIR prepared by the Santa Barbara-based firm AMEC Environment & Infrastructure.

But at scoping meetings and in letters sent to the city last year, others were fearful the hotel would bring on an unwanted influx of traffic and safety hazards. The DEIR intended to address those concerns. 

Traffic impacts 

The hotel would be accessible by one main entrance on Malibu Canyon Road about 700 feet north of Pacific Coast Highway, according to the DEIR. Since the entrance and exit road would be installed “near the curvature” of Malibu Canyon, a left turn out of the hotel would mean a blind turn for drivers. 

“For this reason, right turn egress only will be allowed… no left turns exiting the site will be permitted,” according to the report. 

To mitigate an expected spike in traffic generated by the complex, the DEIR recommends installing additional turn lanes at these intersections: 

-Addition of eastbound left-turn lanes for cars wanting to access PCH from Webb Way. The intersection would have to be re-striped as well. 

-Addition of a westbound right-turn lane at PCH and Cross Creek Road. This move would require restriping PCH and possibly widening the highway at the intersection. 

-Setting aside money to help the city pay for a new traffic signal at Webb Way and Civic Center Way. Owners of several other major proposed developments in the Civic Center currently seeking city permits are also expected to contribute to the fund. 

Noise impacts 

With large haul trucks working to access the site, heavy-duty construction equipment in play and major drilling expected to occur, AMEC warns of an increase in noise during the hotel’s 2-year construction phase. To deal with possible “short-term impacts,” the report suggests banning haul trucks from Civic Center Way, placing sound blankets on noisy equipment and limiting the hauling schedule to 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. 

Long-term noise impacts could include the traffic and attention generated by special events the hotel may choose to host. AMEC suggests the ownership group come up with a Special Event Management Plan to include safety protocols in coordination with the local Sheriff’s Department and details of permitted event capacities and noise levels, especially if held outdoors. 

Potential impact on Native American cultural artifacts 

Members of the local Chumash community fear the excavation process could disturb Native American relics on the site. The DEIR outlines a plan to have a certified archaeologist and a Chumash cultural monitor oversee all excavation “to ensure that previously unidentified buried archaeological deposits are not inadvertently exposed and damaged.” 

If artifacts are discovered, construction should be stopped immediately, according to AMEC, until the resources are evaluated and the city’s planning director has a chance to analyze the finds as well. 

To read the environmental report in its entirety, visit malibucity.org. Comments should be submitted to associate planner Ha Ly.