The council on Monday will also vote on whether to approve a Malibu marathon slated for November.
By Olivia Damavandi / Staff Writer
After a whirlwind of controversy, Malibu City Council at its upcoming Monday night meeting will vote whether to execute a contract with the lowest bidder for the construction of Trancas Canyon Park.
Council members at the meeting will also decide on whether to negotiate and execute an agreement with Forever Runners LLC to allow the proposed Malibu International Marathon to take place Nov. 15.
Residents since March have battled over the originally approved development plan for Trancas Canyon Park, a seven-acre public park on a 13.5-acre site located at 6050 Trancas Canyon Road, approximately a half mile north of the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway. Supporters say the park will provide a needed recreational area in western Malibu, while oppositionists say it will detrimentally impact the environment and jeopardize the safety of the surrounding Malibu West neighborhood.
The original plan, which has been modified a few times since March after being appealed by residents who also protested the grading of a natural ridgeline, includes a proposed multiuse (practice-only) sports field, picnic area, tot-lot, dog park, a restroom/maintenance building, storage building, shade structures, onsite wastewater treatment system, parking area and a storm water detention basin.
Council members in May voted 4-1 in approval of the latest Trancas Canyon Park design plan, which includes $153,500 in modifications for the $3.7 million park. The council accepted the new design, despite support from some meeting attendees of an alternative park plan drafted by an area resident and architect.
The newly approved plan, which incorporates $153,500 in modifications suggested by residents in May at a city-hosted workshop, decreases the overall size of the park to 6.68 acres to reduce the grading of the ridgeline; preserves the knoll, a hill area adjacent to the ridgeline; eliminates a planned basketball half-court; and reduces the size of the picnic, parking lot, dog park and play areas.
While the newly modified plan dictates the development of the park, it will also dictate the direction of a pending lawsuit filed against the city in April by the Malibu Township Council, challenging the environmental impact report of the original park plan.
Marathon decision
The council will then decide whether to enter into an agreement with the Forever Runners LLC, which would allow the first Malibu International Marathon to take place Nov. 15. However, Forever Runners LLC will still be required to obtain a temporary use permit.
The city would receive at least $5,000 for the granting of the license agreement, but this amount could increase depending upon the number of runners and the sale of merchandise. The event organizers are responsible for all costs associated with the event.
The proposed agreement also contemplates services provided by organizers, licensing the use of the city logo, compensation to the city, permit requirements and insurance requirements.
The marathon would begin at Camarillo Airport and end at Zuma Beach. The race would require the closure of one southbound lane on Pacific Coast Highway from Point Mugu to Zuma Beach from approximately 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.