The park’s planning process, and fundraising efforts to develop it, has been several years in the making.
By Jonathan Friedman / Assistant Editor
The project that city officials say will curb the pollution of Malibu’s watershed while also creating a community park, which will be appreciated for generations, goes before the Planning Commission on Tuesday. The Legacy Park project, several years in the making, will be presented to the commission next week to make recommendations on the project to the City Council, which is expected to vote on it before the end of the year. The commission will also vote on whether to certify the plan’s environmental impact report.
Legacy Park is located on the 20-acre property formerly known as the Chili Cook-Off site, along Pacific Coast Highway between Webb Way and Cross Creek Road. The land is mostly filled with weeds and dry grasses, and is also home to the Malibu Coast Animal Hospital, a Coldwell Banker Building and the Malibu Lumber mall that is currently under construction.
The proposed development of the park consists of several features, including the most significant element, a detention pond that will capture storm water from existing drains. This three- to four-acre pond would store water for up to three days before it travels by gravity to the nearby storm water treatment facility. Some of the treated water would be reused for irrigation or sent to an “underground piping network” but some of it would also be discharged into the Malibu watershed at levels acceptable to the Regional Water Quality Control Board (although the board’s current requirements have been tossed by a judge for being too strict, and the RWQCB must come up with new regulations; this decision has been appealed).
The Legacy Park project only deals with storm water pollution. The issue of wastewater pollution will be dealt with next year, city officials say. Initially, the two were to be addressed in one major endeavor. But the wastewater issue, which still has several unsolved elements, has long since been separated from the original project. That the wastewater issue was not included in the Legacy Park project sparked criticism among several state agencies and environmental groups that submitted comments to the city following the publication of the project’s EIR.
“The separation of these components makes the review of the merits of the storm water proposal extremely difficult, as many assumptions need to be made about the future wastewater plans,” wrote Heal the Bay officials.
Another major element of the project is what city officials have called native habitat restoration, although much of the proposed vegetation is not actually native to Malibu. These habitats include coastal prairies (7.7 acres), coastal bluffs (3.6 acres), woodlands (2.2 acres) and riparian/wetland (1.5 acres). Critics say the wetland habitat should be larger, since it is historically what the property once was. But city officials and consultants for the project have cited high costs and not enough room as reasons for a minimally sized wetland.
Legacy Park cannot be used for “active recreation” such as athletic events due to restrictions established by the Malibu Bay Co. before it sold the property to the city for $25 million in 2006. But the property can be used for “passive recreation.” Approximately 1.8 acres of trails are proposed.
“Pedestrian circulation is planned throughout Legacy Park and would take the form of meandering trails and pathways composed of decomposed granite, concrete or pavers, and permeable materials as appropriate,” the EIR states.
Also, a “linear park,” a pathway along Civic Center Way, would be built. The initial pathway would not be large, but the city hopes to expand it by obtaining easements from future developers, that one day would allow people to walk from the Civic Center area to the Malibu Pier or further.
City Manager Jim Thorsen said this week he expects the City Council to consider the project within 60 days after the Planning Commission meeting, and then the city could seek bids for construction before the year concludes, with construction beginning sometime early next year.
The project is expected to cost $12 million to $15 million. The city so far has raised $6.1 million. This includes a $2 million grant from the Annenberg Foundation (although the city has not actually received the money), $2.5 million from Santa Monica College’s Measure S bond fund, $1 million from the county (this money can only be used for the Linear Park, a feature of the grant city finance head Reva Feldman said the city is trying to alter) and $600,000 from various donors.
The city has not had any success with the various federal and state grants it has applied for. Grants coordinator Barbara Cameron said the city would be applying for a grant next month from the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission. There are also other grants it will apply for later this year.
The remaining cost will most likely be funded through the issuance of certificates of participation, which are similar to bonds but do not need voter approval. The COPs would be paid off through the rent money the city receives from the structures on Legacy Park. The City Council approved this policy in concept earlier this year, and will vote on making it official when it votes on the actual project.