I liked your editorial last week and feel your pain [Publisher Arnold York’s “Guido’s Restaurant is going to close, perhaps now, perhaps later”]. It is beyond sad to see Guido’s go, but I fear that our City Council members will do nothing until it may be too late to save Malibu. It is hard to explain when one city starts to look like every other city, but you know it when you see it.
What defines Malibu? Is it our uniqueness or our uniformity? Could it be the four Starbucks or the two Subways? The McDonalds, KFC and Jack in the Box? The Circle K store? Or is it Lilly’s Caf/, Sunlife Organics, Savory, and The Sage Room? Are the stores leaving our community (Guido’s) or the new stores coming into our community (Sephora and Chipotle) contributing to or taking away from what makes Malibu special?
I did my homework and wrote and introduced formula business ordinances in 2007 and again in 2011 to try to retain Malibu’s unique character. For various reasons, the City Council members chose not to adopt any ordinance. After the Trancas Nursery nearly was shut down, a new group of wonderful citizen activists took the baton and asked that the City Council pass a diversification ordinance and consider another Formula Business Ordinance. The current City Council can take action by passing a formula ordinance and/or diversification ordinance, or they can sit back and shop at Sephora.
Either way, I fear voters won’t have a say until April 2014, when two council seats are up. I hope I am wrong. I can think of other examples when the City Council took action, albeit at the last minute. (Malibu Lagoon and overnight camping plan). Well, Malibu City Council, what will you do, or fail to do? We are waiting and watching.
Pamela Conley Ulich