Last week, the City Council approved a resolution denying a house project in the Ramirez Canyon area of Malibu. I believed, and the Planning staff and the Planning Commission concurred, that the proposed project was consistent with all of the development standards in the city ordinances and in the Malibu Local Coastal Plan and should have been approved; accordingly, I was very disappointed that the project was denied and that I still do not know why.
I thought the vote was based on confusion and inaccurate information. However, I also believe 98 percent of all City Council votes are correct and that the current council has done more to advance the objectives of the citizens of Malibu than any council has in the past. The current council has aggressively and proactively taken advantage of every opportunity to provide parks, ball fields and other recreational facilities to protect the environment and to insure a high level of safety for the people in Malibu. Where there was no opportunity, the council created one.
Of course, my house is extremely important to me, and I have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars during the three-year approval process, so I will look for a solution to the denial. However, the disappointment I have suffered pales in comparison to the great accomplishments the City Council has achieved on behalf of its citizens, the general public, and the protection of the environment.
Norman R. Haynie