Last week’s Malibu City Council meeting offered a sneak peek into what could become of Malibu Bluffs Park — the 93.75-acre park that sits at the foot of Malibu Canyon Road.
Currently, the park is largely undeveloped, with one athletic field, a playground, two baseball diamonds and a small recreation center including bathrooms.
In the future, according to data presented to council by Jeremy Franzini, spokesperson for Michael Baker International, the firm hired by the city to develop the Malibu Bluffs Parkland Master Plan, those 93.75 acres could include pedestrian and bike trails, additional athletic fields, softball diamonds, rock climbing walls, an amphitheater, dog park, disc golf court, picnic areas, and, possibly, even a public pool.
“The best approach is to start with maximizing what we can fit, and then if people think ‘that’s too much, it’s not appropriate, that’s going to be overkill,’ then we can start cutting back,” Franzini told council at their Wednesday, Oct. 14 meeting.
Franzini was speaking in agreement with a suggestion by City Council Member Lou La Monte, who suggested the city would best be served by allowing designers to fully plot out the park.
“I think we should give the designers the opportunity to do what they do best, and then we can look at it,” La Monte said.
Council voted unanimously 5-0 to direct Michael Baker International to create a master plan that prioritizes walking and hiking trails, youth soccer fields, baseball diamonds, multipurpose fields, an adventure facility (rock climbing wall), picnic shelters, playgrounds, the preservation of existing vegetation, an outdoor pool, a multigenerational community center, a skatepark, adequate onsite parking, an amphitheater, a dog park, basketball courts and bike trails.
These uses were determined by a survey offered to residents earlier this year, which yielded 616 responses and 1,077 individual comments.
Some notable data from the survey results include that the largest number of survey respondents, 42 percent, prefer the parkland design to feature nature primarily, with 31 percent choosing sports as a main focus and another 20 percent preferring ocean as a main focus.
The top priorities for respondents were walking, biking and trails, followed by athletic fields. Twelve percent of respondents opted for a pool, while another 12 opted for natural open space. “Skate Park” was not an individual survey option, but many of the 10 percent of respondents who requested “hard surface facilities” (including skate parks, but also tennis courts) are thought to have been requesting a skate facility.
Another idea bandied about at the meeting was of a walking trail that could connect Bluffs Park to Malibu Pier, through the Adamson House property, and even possibly to Legacy Park.
“You should be looking at tying it all together,” Brian Merrick suggested during the public comment portion of the meeting.
“We’ve long planned a linear walkway that would connect the pier all the way to Bluffs Park,” City Manager Jim Thorsen later replied.
While council and several members of the public spoke in support of the development of the park, 82 acres of which were recently acquired by the city in the park swap with Charmlee Wilderness Park, longtime resident Graeme Clifford came to speak in vocal opposition to the development of the land.
“I guess I’m the voice in the wilderness here, or the voice of the wilderness,” Clifford said. “I’m here just to remind everybody that when we change something, it can never be put back where it was.”
Point Dume speed humps yellow lighted
Following an emotional debate at Wednesday’s City Council meeting, speed humps were approved for Wildlife and Greyfox streets in the Point Dume neighborhood, but similar measures for other streets around Point Dume are on hold, pending a public meeting.
The approval which, according to City Council Member Skylar Peak, was anticipated by many of the Point Dume residents who signed a petition asking for the speed humps, was fought by several concerned residents.
“I’m obviously in favor at this point of speed humps going in places where people ask for them,” Peak said. “And I’m also in favor of having a public meeting … my only focus is [that] it happens in a month or a month-and-a-half.
“The problem is now. We need to fix it now, not in six months or a year,” Peak continued.
Arguments against the humps include concerns over firefighters and other first responders being slowed on emergency calls, which could result in danger for residents.
Council considered these fears relevant, agreeing to schedule a public hearing.
“A lot of people are going to be frustrated as to why it’s not happening, and I think that’s super lame,” Peak said.
