I think it would be a great idea for Malibu to start looking at some of the well tested ways that other small coastal cities handle grandfathered structures and remodels. In light of this, I surveyed a number of communities who have a more relaxed approach to these issues and the results were provided to the City Council for their review.
I knew that when the issue of code enforcement emerged a year ago, that some people might feel threatened by changes in the ways that things are done at City Hall. Apparently, this has occurred because a local expediter named Marissa Coughlin recently falsely accused me on Cable TV of posing as a city employee while interviewing other cities as to their permit procedures. I have asked her for a retraction of this laughable but nonetheless defamatory statement. I say laughable because in the last 15 years as a certified appraiser, broker and consultant, having professionally interviewed building department officials at hundreds of cities around the country, honesty and directness have always been the most effective ways of collecting accurate information. City personnel actually enjoy talking about their policies and we have much to learn from other low growth coastal communities who have successfully resolved the same land use issues we face.
One of the valuable insights discovered during this research is that we can benefit from more over-the- counter literature describing the sequence of steps required for various permitting channels. In light of that, a group of residents recently asked the Land Use Subcommittee to have a Permit Guidebook published for Remodels and Unpermitted structures which would help ensure that these standards were applied uniformly and fairly and would help homeowners become more knowledgeable about what’s needed before they begin the permitting process. Within the zoning ordinances provided by other coastal cities are also clearer regulations regarding second units and guesthouses. In turn, we’ve suggested ways the Land Use Subcommittee can clarify these uses in Malibu and asked that very small projects like gazebos, sheds, playhouses and short fences, etc., be exempted from Planning Review, which at present, often costs more than the projects themselves.
And most importantly, we’re trying to get these minor changes that will have widespread benefit adopted in a timeframe measured in months rather than years. I still have a great belief that working together with the city staff and council, we can make great progress in streamlining permitting and code enforcement in the city.
Anne Hoffman