Development guidelines for the Civic Center area in Malibu could be a possibility. The City Council at its meeting on Monday is expected to ask its planning staff to begin the process of forming a proposed development standard for that area.
The city staff has recommended that the council approve a resolution to initiate the process for the creation of an amendment to the city’s zoning laws that would establish guidelines for the Civic Center Area, the so-called downtown portion of Malibu that has several development projects on the horizon and includes many other parcels of undeveloped commercial land.
Additionally, the Civic Center area includes the future Malibu Legacy Park, the Malibu Library and the Courthouse. Also, it has been proposed that a Santa Monica College satellite campus be built there, as well as a trail system connecting Surfrider Beach to Bluffs Park, called Linear Park. According to the staff report, the city planners will be working to make a proposal that would create a strong relationship between the buildings in the area and Linear Park, “thereby enhancing and encouraging the pedestrian environment.”
Once the staff has developed a proposal, it will go before an advisory committee and a City Council subcommittee, the Planning Commission and eventually the City Council for a final vote.
Also on Monday, the council will consider a nearly $2 million contract with LH Engineering for the Cross Creek Road Improvements project. The project, already approved by the City Council, includes the installation of new sidewalks, landscaping, storm drains, ADA-compliant accessible ramps, sidewalk benches, lighting bollards, bus turnouts new pavement and decorative crosswalks. The project is being funded through various grants.
According to a city staff report, construction is supposed to begin in September and be finished by December.
Additionally, the council will be asked to consider a new contract with the city’s grants coordinator, Barbara Cameron. A two-year, $170,000 contract has been proposed for Cameron. If approved, that would mark an $8,000-per-year increase. However, her proposed annual allowable expense account has been decreased from $9,000 to $4,000.
A longtime Malibu resident, Cameron has served on the Planning Commission and Parks and Recreation Commission. She was named to her current post in 2000, becoming the city’s first-ever grants coordinator.
Cameron’s contract was renewed in 2001, 2004 and 2006. According to the city staff report, she has been responsible for getting nearly $21 million worth of grants for the city. However, the report, written by City Manager Jim Thorsen, goes on to state, “Not all grants on the list were submitted by the grants consultant, but many were either the result of Ms. Cameron’s efforts alone or with the assistance of city staff. A smaller number were the result of work completed solely by city staff. Clearly, the City’s grant funding has very significantly increased since Ms. Cameron’s contract was first initiated in late 2000.”
Cameron received some criticism two years ago during the campaign by the city to purchase the Chili Cook-Off site-mostly from those who already opposed the City Council-when nearly $8 million in grant commitments by various state agency staffs were reversed for several reasons. One of those reasons was the city staff not being aware of a legal issue involving grant collection. Cameron’s opponents said she should have known about it. The loss of the grant money forced the city to borrow a great deal more money to buy the Chili Cook-Off site than it had originally planned.