At the last Planning Commission meeting, the Malibu Bay Company displayed a model of the Trancas housing tract that Councilman House and ex-Mayor Hasse negotiated as part of the development agreement. I was quite shocked to read that this housing tract will include a gated private street.
As a resident of Zumirez Drive, I recently joined with over 95 percent of my neighbors petitioning the city to allow us to have a private street in order to maintain the quiet and rural nature of our neighborhood (without a gate). So far, our only support has come from Councilman Stern. It seems that, although 70 percent of the streets in Malibu are private, the vision of our City Council is to allow them only for big money developers and privileged City Council members (House, Kearsley and Stern).
Every tract approved by the City Council since the city was formed has private streets, most with gates. Our request for a private street without a gate is to keep Zumirez rural and preclude the city from adding sidewalks, streetlights and other urban “improvements.” If you wish to see what the City Council’s vision is, just drive down Portshead and look at our newest housing tract, or read about the massive development planned under the Malibu bay Company agreement.
I suggest that the city name the new street planned for the Trancas housing tract “Joan House Lane,” “Jennings Drive,” “Kearsley Place” or “Barovsky Boulevard.” Better yet, how about “Hypocrite Street.”
Paul Taublieb