In a letter last week, Steve Uhring says he is “confused.” That may explain why almost nothing he said was accurate. He accuses the City Council of purposely not recognizing the Malibu Coastal Land Conservancy (MCLC) and its treasurer Ozzie Silna at its Legacy Park Land Blessing event. Not true! Not only was MCLC listed on our donor list, it was more prominently displayed by being in much larger type. We also listed all the names Mr. Uhring provided who donated to the Legacy Park Project. But then, Mr. Uhring can’t know that, since he did not attend the event.
It was a day to honor all ur donors, from the homeless woman who gave a dollar to the largest individual donors who gave as much as $250,000. We did give tribute to the late Mary Frampton because she symbolized the spirit of giving that our donors embodied. Mary was a tireless champion of the environment, a committed member of the community and a person who never demanded credit for her work.
For Mr. Uhring to suggest this council supported 185,000 square feet of commercial development on the Chili Cook-off property is laughable. We supported Measure “M” because it gave us three years to purchase the Chili Cook-off site with no deed restrictions. When “M” failed, we managed to purchase the site in one year. Unfortunately, the owner added deed restrictions against ball fields, an urgent care facility, etc. The fact that we managed to purchase the land within a year proves we could have done it in three years. Therefore, I assume Steve and MCLC opposed such facilities.
The city is now entering Phase Two of our Legacy Park Project. Our consultants estimate it will cost from $10-$12 million to construct the park. Upon completion, we will have a beautiful park in the center of Malibu that will serve the passive recreational needs of the residents, provide an education center for our children, and help clean the water that flows into the lagoon, creek, and Surfrider Beach. To accomplish this task, we have no doubt that the community will again step forward to make this dream a reality. I share President Truman’s belief: “It is amazing what you can accomplish when you do not care who gets credit.”
Ken Kearsley