Two residents living near Malibu High School spoke out against various aspects of the 45,000-square-foot redesign plan for the school during a Board of Education meeting at Malibu City Hall last Thursday. The project includes new buildings and classrooms as well as athletic facility features, including permanent lights.
One of the residents said in an interview this week she has a petition signed by more than 50 people challenging the permanent lights for the school. And she plans this week to start gathering signatures in opposition to the design of the buildings.
“What’s being described here in terms of this building program with the school is going to ruin the view to the ocean,” said resident Tom Griskey. “It’s going to increase the light, sound and air pollution in the neighborhood.”
Judi Hutchinson told the board she and most area residents only learned about the project a week earlier when they were informed of a hearing in preparation for an environmental impact review. She said about the design of the project, “We don’t feel it belongs in our area. We’re such a rural area …”
Several board members, most of whom admitted they were not familiar with the homeowners association, suggested its members set up times to meet with school principal Mark Kelly as well as district officials.
“That way we don’t leave anybody out of the loop,” Board President Oscar de la Torre said. “That’s not our intention.”
Since the issue was not on the agenda, state law prohibited the school board members from giving extensive responses to the residents.
Hutchinson said in an interview this week she has obtained more than 50 signatures from the neighborhood of people against permanent lights for the school’s athletic facility. When the district received a coastal development permit for enhancements to its athletic facility in 2000, lighting was prohibited. An amendment to that permit from the California Coastal Commission would be needed to bring in the lighting.
“I want a limitation to lights because we are a bedroom community,” Hutchinson said this week. “What I’m afraid of is when they get lights, they won’t stop. We’ll have lights night after night for various games and events.”
Hutchinson added that she and her neighbors are opposed to the design of the new buildings because they are “unattractive.” She said she has no problem with upgrading buildings if it is done how she and her neighbors consider to be the right way.
“I am not against kids,” Hutchinson said. “I am not a bitter old woman.”
Laura Rosenthal, who sits on the district committee that decided how the money from the 2006 voter approved-Measure BB bond would be used for this project as well as the Malibu High committee for the project, said this week she knows many people in the neighborhood who are looking forward to the redesign. She included herself among that group. Although Rosenthal is not a member of the homeowners association, she does live in the neighborhood.
“I understand people’s concerns, but it’s important for people to understand when they buy a house next to a public school, they can expect certain things from that school, which is noise from kids and the upgrading of the school,” Rosenthal said. “But they also get back because it really increases their property values to have a public school so close to their houses and because of shared-use agreements with the city, they have ready-made parks very close to their homes.”
Rosenthal said she agreed with the residents that the district has not communicated well with the community since the redesign plans were developed. But, she said, while the plans were being developed, there were many meetings, often attended by Malibu Park residents.
This issue was a topic of discussion at Monday’s Board of Education candidates’ forum. Incumbent Jose Escarce said, “I do believe that working together, there is a very high likelihood that we could come up with some agreement.”
Ben Allen, one of two newcomers in the race of four candidates for three seats, said, “It’s important to meet and engage with residents. But I also hope that the folks in Malibu Park will recognize the need for Malibu High to grow and continue to serve Malibu students. There are a lot of needs and some really fantastic improvements that are coming down the pipeline here.”
Fellow newcomer Chris Bley said this was a good opportunity for the district to reestablish a communication with Malibu, which he said has been lacking.
Information on the redesign proposal can be found on the district’s Web site at www.smmusd.org. Comments on the proposal can be submitted to the district until Oct. 26 in preparation for the drafting of an environmental impact report. Instructions on how to submit comments appear on the Web site. The district has promised three “public outreach” meetings. The dates of those meetings have not been established.