The California Coastal Commission (CCC) unanimously approved a plan Thursday that would provide incentives to Malibu homeowners who wish to provide public trail access on their property.
“The City [of Malibu] … proposes … to include a new Trail Dedication Incentives Program, which would provide a program to make certain incentives available, in the form of less onerous development restrictions, in exchange for voluntary trail dedications offered by private residential property owners as part of new residential development applications,” read the staff report from the Thursday, Dec. 10 meeting.
Originally, the city was looking for a revised Parkland and Trails System Map as part of the Local Coastal Plan, but CCC staff and commissioners objected to some of the proposed modifications “in order to prevent potential confusion.”
The incentive program would include such things as “potential modifications of development standards.”
Staff stressed that property owners would not be compelled to use the incentive program if they did not wish to.
“Future property owners may voluntarily participate in the incentive program if they choose,” staff said.
Malibu Planning Director Bonnie Blue expressed support for the program, clarifying its constraints.
“There will be public notice and public hearing on every project that uses this program,” Blue told commissioners. “We think it’s innovative in that it can greatly benefit the city’s trail network and further the public access goals of the Local Coastal Program.”