Working from the premise that a flood-proof community facility can be created above a fluctuating streambed, city officials will call a public meeting in January to document support for state grants to develop a disaster-plagued Las Flores site.
The decision came Saturday during a three-hour strategy session and workshop at Malibu Bluffs Park, where six city officials and community design consultants met with 12 residents to scope out ways to utilize the 6.7-acre land parcel.
Time is at stake, said Barbara Cameron, City of Malibu grants consultant, adding, “If you don’t go for the money now, the opportunity may have passed.”
While emphasizing that she was not pushing or rushing, she also encouraged the group to find a basic level of agreement to support water and park bond funding opportunities that could dry up overnight.
And so they did, beginning a new phase of a land-use discussion over a parcel that ambles along the east side of Las Flores Canyon, a quarter mile north from Pacific Coast Highway where six houses were washed away by a flood.
No longer were residents discussing whether it would be feasible to develop the parcel. The issue under discussion on Saturday was how to develop the multi-million-dollar site the city was forced to acquire following a reverse condemnation lawsuit by property owners.
City officials already have said they want a community meeting facility for up to 50 people as a hedge if the state should kick the city out of leased property at Malibu Bluffs.
But residents pointed out that a community structure would require a parking lot, which, because of anticipated traffic increase, might be a source of controversy.
“There’s a deer lying dead right now, hit by a car at the top of the road,” said Donna Schwarm, a longtime resident of Las Flores Canyon Road .
To qualify for funding, the city needs to show broad-based community support.
“The last thing an agency wants to do is fund something that will never be completed,” said Cameron. “We will never receive a grant if we’re not together on this.”
Depending on which grant the city pursues, the site could qualify for a ceiling of either $1 million or $5 million in proposition (water bond) funding, but applications must be mailed to the state by Jan. 31. Toward that end, city consultants said Malibu officials would get people organized right away by asking residents and workshop participants, who also are in neighborhood organizations, and businesses to assist in research and networking.
Water-bond grants deal with watershed, Santa Monica Bay preservation, the restoration of any wetlands, clean water, and the restoration of any wildlife and riparian habitats.
Following a 40-minute discussion on potential amenities for the site, participants broke into teams and leaned around tables using colored markers to sketch their dream plans onto big 17-by-24-inch poster paper.
Ideas included:
- Playground equipment and a sandbox for children.
- A stream restoration project to benefit wildlife as well as the community, but with no night lighting to disturb animals.
- Having the Boy Scouts involved in the immediate creation of a streamside trail leading up the canyon on one side and to the ocean on the other.
- Toilet facilities at the trail entrance, along with animal sanitation baggies for leashed pets.
- A wooden bridge over the stream.
- A resource museum focusing on Malibu-related history and science.
- Minimal-impact trails and picnic tables.
- Stream repair
- Handicapped access
- An educational center
Before a grant application can be submitted, the City Council must approve the proposal following a public hearing. Cameron says she believes she can draft a water-bond-based grant proposal by the second week of January, which will be just enough time to demonstrate community support and enthusiasm and also gain council approval.
“I’m confident I can put together a proposal with a committed council, and a dedicated community,” said Cameron.
In addition to a show of hands indicating no opposition to the idea at the workshop, another indicator of significant community interest, she said, includes the $147,800-plus contract with the Community Works Design Group, which has been overseeing community feedback, research and workshops.
City officials also speculated about eventually incorporating some adjacent properties into the proposed development with discussion centering around whether four or five nearby landowners, as well as the Malibu La Costa Owners Association, Inc. would be interested in cooperating.
“It could be a great project with just the city land,” said Cameron, “But it could be an even better project with some adjacent properties that are being conceptually discussed.”
Over time, she added, “There will be a number of grants I’m going to go for.”