The city of Malibu is in danger of losing its only towing company, which could lead to long waits when tow trucks are needed and a loss of city revenue. Malibu Towing Inc. officials and their supporters raised this issue at Monday’s City Council meeting. City leaders admitted this was a problem, but said it would be difficult to find a property where the company could go.
The Malibu Towing property located on Malibu Road was purchased by a new owner more than a year ago. With the new owner wanting to develop the land, the company must find a new home. The problem is, the property must be zoned for light industry, a designation few properties in this city have.
“We’re actually a utility,” Malibu Towing President Adail Gayhart said at the meeting. “Even though we’re privately owned, we’re as important as the Fire Department or Police Department. We really need to be staged in Malibu.”
Malibu Towing, which uses five to 12 trucks during the year (it has more in the summer, and bases some of them at Malibu High School during this time), tows cars that are impounded or have been in accidents. Its facility is also used for law enforcement agencies’ accident recreations and criminal investigations.
Gayhart said in an interview on Tuesday that if Malibu Towing were forced to leave the city, or if Malibu used another service from a distant area, it would be a financial hit for the city. The city receives a $30 tax every time a car is towed, except in special circumstances. This would no longer apply if the company were not headquartered in the city. Also, Gayhart maintained that the money Malibu spends on Los Angeles County Sheriff’s services would be wasted with deputies waiting for tow trucks to arrive from far distances during crime scene or accident investigations. Additionally, longer waits would mean more traffic, and that could harm local businesses, he said.
The council members who heard comments from Gayhart and others on Monday said they agreed that if Malibu Towing left the community, it would be a loss for all those reasons. But they also said it would be difficult to find a new home for the company because it would most likely require the rezoning of a property.
“People aren’t going to be too happy with seeing their property rezoned for light industry,” said Mayor Jeff Jennings, who said when the General Plan was being written during the city’s early years the topic of setting aside land for services like Malibu Towing was discussed, but that it never happened when the document was finalized.
Councilmember Andy Stern added, “It would be a long process to get something rezoned… I know, sitting up here, that people won’t want it in their backyard. It’s going to be NIMBY [not in my backyard]. [People will say] ‘I want it but I don’t want it near my house.'”
Gayhart estimated that Malibu Towing would need to move to a property approximately an acre to an acre and a half in size. This would provide room for a storage yard and a small building. City Manager Jim Thorsen said at the council meeting that local gas stations, including the vacant ones, are zoned to allow light industry. But Gayhart said on Tuesday that those facilities are not big enough.