Real estate agent and columnist Rick Wallace returns with his perspective on Malibu history and happenings. This is his 15th edition of “Along The PCH” since it originated in 1995.
My new theory is when I use a handicapped parking space to make an eight second drop off at Blockbuster, I am watching out for cops first! But if I get caught, I ain’t sayin nothin.
Same with the public library where dozens of good old movie videos are available, by the way, free for one week.
The only eateries in Malibu that have kept the same name and location for 25 years or more are: The Charthouse, Moonshadows, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Jack In The Box, Malibu Seafood and Neptune’s Net. Two of each: medium-priced steak/seafood on the water, fast food, and funky local seafood hangouts across from the beach.
Are you looking for a new place to jog or walk? Is your dog looking? The Bluffs Park is almost exactly a half mile around, including the street, back sidewalk and the perimeter of the parking lot. Sometimes the poop bags are in stock.
I don’t think you’ll ever get the drunk drivers to call 911 voluntarily.
The local Rotarians used to give out awards for local officers who displayed heroism on the job. On one occasion, in 1980, a near tragedy was averted at Kanan/PCH, before the runaway truck sand ramp was installed, thanks to a CHP officer. The story goes the officer had just turned onto Kanan off PCH and saw a truck with smoke and flames coming out of its wheelwell, barreling down the hill toward the highway. The officer immediately made a U-turn and drove into the middle of the intersection against the red light. With sirens and lights flashing, he stopped traffic from both directions just before the out-of-control truck swerved into the intersection and came to a rest, partly on fire. There were no collisions as a result of the officer’s quick response.
It is remarkable that, as of this writing, there are about 175 regular, active real estate agents in Malibu — for 210 homes for sale! Indeed, since many agents have several homes listed, it is true about half the agents in Malibu do not have a home listed currently. This is not a commentary on too many agents — the number has hardly changed through the years. It is a warning of so few homes available.
Two hundred ten homes for sale is an extraordinarily low number. Throughout the ’90s, the winter saw an average of about 290 homes listed and the inventory rose to about 350 during the summer. A high of only 286 homes as listed in July, 1999, dropping to the seasonal low of 246 last December. This year, the inventory has dropped each month. The gradual decline throughout 2000 is a good sign for prices and a horrible sign for buyers.
Ten years ago, the new City of Malibu, not yet incorporated, was fighting the county to move up the incorporation date to as soon as possible. The county delayed the incorporation to allow for more time for a sewer system to be approved. Ultimately, March 28, 1991 was designated as incorporation date and … the day laborer site at Zuma Beach was closed and re-opened against neighborhood protest … the large condominium complex at Cavalleri/PCH was under new construction … debate raged over the possible development of 48 homes in the Corral/Puerco Canyons … Helen Pepperdine died. She was a frequent visitor to the Malibu campus named after her husband, who originally founded George Pepperdine College in central Los Angeles in 1937, 35 years before the Malibu campus opened. George Pepperdine was the founder of Western Auto Supply and used part of his fortune to establish the small Church of Christ College. George died in 1962.
The Malibu Right to Vote on Development Initiative is a new, intriguing and unfortunate addition to the local political landscape. It is promoted by a relatively small band of environmentally conscious locals deeply passionate about the future of Malibu. Though small in number, they are vocal and determined.
At their core, however, their wish is for political control. Initiative backers want to make decisions for other people (or campaign the electorate to make decisions for other people), under the guise that they know best what Malibu should be. They believe in more government control over individual actions, particularly pertaining to property use. Unfortunately, their fight to keep out hotels and office buildings extended, under their government control, to a virtual ban on new fences and bathroom remodels. The people finally revolted last April. With their leaders out of office, our environmentalist friends are trying a new tact to gain control of the wildly unconstitutional idea of having popular local votes determine individual property planning. The idea is to have majority votes determine “big development” and reduce the traffic on PCH. Since their idea of big development has historically equated hotels with bedroom additions, and since they have no notion of compromise, what can we expect next?
If the no-growth gang is so concerned about traffic along PCH and the environment, perhaps they should support a popular vote to determine how many house guests they are allowed. Let’s vote for a tonnage limit on their garbage output. Those would be good, majority-vote ways to reduce traffic on PCH and harm the environment less. Don’t count on their support. For the 20-30 extremist, no-growth environmentalists we have in Malibu, control over others is a one- way street.
The fields just west of the Ralphs parking lot once had six homes, in what is now the backyard of Malibu Towing.
Whew! Another summer with practically no humidity!
It must confuse a lot of visitors to Malibu when they are driving south to Santa Monica and their car directional gauge reads NE.
Those little cameras are so darn cute! Have you seen them? They are perched on all the stoplight poles at Webb Way and Malibu Canyon, and other places. Pray tell, what could they be for?
The answer is not what you think. It is not for catching red light runners. The cameras are mounted by Caltrans to view traffic back-ups, and not for any Big Brother purpose. (And here I’ve been afraid to check my mail.
Hardly any fog either! It was an ideal summer for weather.
Homes in the Malibu Colony, as a general rule, are now selling for more than $10,000 per inch of sand frontage.
I am curious about these taxis that show up at local schools in the morning. Are those kids getting expensive rides, or is it just that their folks are on their way to work?
Twenty years ago, it was announced at a meeting of the Malibu Recreation Council that land acquired by the state at the bluffs of PCH/Malibu Canyon would become a park. The original edict called for no buildings to be permitted on the grounds … also, 20 years ago, Carl Randall was leading a charge to form a Malibu School District separate from Santa Monica … Caltrans approved a permanent ban of trucks with four or more axles on PCH … a 50-acre brush fire burned two homes in Malibu Park … L. A. County adopted an urgency ordinance to clean up the nudity at Pirate’s Cove on the beach below Point Dume.
Also, in 1980, you could subscribe to The Malibu Times for a whole year for just $4.50. (Hint: not that the quality has gone down, but you can get by on less than that these days.