Letter: Objections

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Letter to the Editor

I object to the proposed Memorial Park Plan.

I have many issues with the proposed use of this land.

First and foremost, it does not serve the needs and interests of our local community. It is yet another example of a developer-driven project: one for profit to the detriment of our town.

We live in a scenic coastal town. This plan proposes that in the middle of our town center there will be a 28-acre cemetery. It is called a ‘Memorial Park’ for marketing purposes only. As locals, we will drive by this graveyard every day, day after day, year after year, decade after decade. Sad if you ask me.

And what will we be looking at? According to local newspaper articles: a 6,000-square-foot chapel, 47 mausoleum structures, 30 statues, 28,265 in-ground burial plot spaces, 3,644 interments in above round wall crypts, a circular driveway, parking lot and entry gates. Beautiful scenic coastal views? I don’t think so.

And how will this impact our local community? More traffic. Services are allowed every 30 minutes. Lots of black hearses and long funeral processionals. Floods of visitors on every holiday you can think of to pay homage to their loved ones.

And there is the morbid tourist attraction. Have you ever seen the star maps sold on the street corners in Beverly Hills? Or the Star Bus Tours? Well now you can come cruise the rich and famous at death as well as in life.

I am also confused about the 8,000 sq. ft. subterranean parking lot. My understanding was this is one of the issues that derailed the original hotel proposal. It was cited as a fire hazard. And do we want underground parking in Malibu? Is this the beginning of another slippery slope?

There are also concerns about sewer lines and water table issues.

And what happened to the issues brought about by the MRCA?

A decision by the people for the people? I don’t think so…

Dana Friedman