Complaints over a lack of parking in Malibu are nothing new.
A comprehensive PCH parking study was recently published, the first of its kind to be undertaken in Malibu in decades. Council members, planning commissioners and city staffers constantly complain about chronic “under-parking” among businesses in Malibu, especially those between the Malibu Pier and Las Flores Canyon.
With Malibu’s popularity as a relaxing weekend getaway from Los Angeles and trendy international tourist destination growing, parking is increasingly diminished — and now add to that a desire for upscale hotel the Malibu Beach Inn to build a pool in its current parking lot. The request from the Malibu Beach Inn brought the concept of off-site parking to the forefront, but council stopped short of approving the specific project, opting rather to change the zoning text to allow for the concept.
At the most recent Malibu City Council meeting on Wednesday, April 12, council narrowly voted to pass a zoning text amendment (ZTA) that would allow for off-site valet parking lots for hotels, motels, and bed and breakfasts within the city — despite complaints that keeping visitors across a busy highway from their vehicles may cause more danger.
“I think the entire PCH is under-parked,” Mayor Lou La Monte said during discussion of the ZTA. “We have a limited amount of space … Ultimately, we have to figure out more solutions.”
The final motion updated zoning text to state: “Offsite valet parking areas shall be accessed only by valet parking staff [and] shall exceed the number of parking spaces being relocated from the hospitality site.” The lots will be required to be within 300 feet from the business it serves, “measured along a legal and safe pedestrian path from the offsite valet lot to the nearest entrance of the building” — or it may exceed a distance of 300 feet if a shuttle is used to carry valet staff to and from the lot. Customers, visitors, members of the public and other staff will not be permitted in the off-site lot.
La Monte, along with council members Laura Rosenthal and Rick Mullen, voted for the amendment, while Mayor Pro Tem Skylar Peak and Council Member Jefferson “Zuma Jay” Wagner voted against.
“I’m not in favor of anything I’m hearing,” Wagner told council via teleconference from Ridgecrest, Calif., where he was attending the meeting remotely. Wagner urged council to undertake traffic studies recommended by the planning commission, which would have been funded by the applicant (Malibu Beach Inn). The studies — which, according to the staff report, would be “purely hypothetical and would require a significant investment of staff time” — would then have been reviewed by a planning commission before coming back before council. No one else on council supported that option.
The issue as to whether Malibu Beach Inn owner Simon Mani will be allowed to utilize the Hertz parking lot across PCH from his hotel is yet to be seen, but his lawyer, Tony Canzoneri, said any remaining issues will be cleared up with the application.
“There are so many misunderstandings that will be completely clarified once you pass the ZTA, because the application will come through from the hotel,” Canzoneri assured council. “We helped develop this solution because it just makes sense to have a pool at this hotel. It’s a fine hotel and it deserves to have a swimming pool. Our beach as you know isn’t really much of a beach anymore.”