I have always said that I would never write that dreaded “letter to the editor” that so often in Malibu opens one up to personal attacks. However, my husband and I can no longer stand back, as we have some serious concerns and questions as to how our city government process works. I speak as well for several Bonsall Drive neighbors. We are being ignored by the City of Malibu, the Malibu Stage Company (MSC), and the Point Dume Community Services District (PDCSD).
Over several years, the MSC has been attempting to raise funds for its operation. The property it is leasing directly abuts several Bonsall Drive properties and its activities in our residential zone greatly impact us. The MSC began its relationship with us by attempting to rezone the property to Institutional from RR2 with no notification by them or The City of Malibu to us. We accidentally learned about this, and with some effort were able to stop the change so that we could preserve our neighborhood character.
To stop any more unwanted activities, I and several neighbors attended a city planning commission hearing that ended with a temporary use permit for the MSC with strict conditions agreed upon by us neighbors and the board of the stage company. That board of the theatre is no longer seated. The most important point of that CUP for this letter is that the property was to be used only for theatre productions and the activities needed for these productions. Later the temporary use permit became a conditional use permit with the same specifications written in more concise terms but with the same intent. We thought we were coexisting in harmony with the MSC.
Recently it came to our neighborhood’s attention that the PDCSD was negotiating a contract with the MSC to use the stage property building. As this is a direct violation of the CUP, we neighbors organized a meeting to discuss this issue with all involved parties with the intent of being “up front” in the matter. The meeting was represented by: then Mayor Tom Hasse for The City of Malibu, Geoffrey Ortiz for the MSC, Nidra Winger for the PDCSD and eight concerned neighbors. We neighbors left the meeting with the impression that all parties understood that this joint operating venture was in direct violation of the CUP, and thus not allowed.
It appears that a contract is now being finalized between these two parties despite knowing that it is not permitted. The Malibu City Council may have acted without full knowledge of the conditional use permit when they funded the MSC. Has the City Council tied its funding for the MSC to a joint operation agreement with the PDCSD? The site is not even on Pt. Dume.
The MSC’s CUP has expired. To reinstate it in its original form would still not permit these uses.
There must be a hearing and I’m concerned that a hearing would be prejudiced by this commitment of funds. I know of two past violations of the CUP by the MSC. They have not acted in good faith.
We’ve made every effort to be reasonable, but at this point can only feel that we’ve been ignored and that the process has been compromised. We want to be treated directly and honestly.
Margaret and Al Giuliani