At its most recent meeting this past Thursday, the SMMUSD Board gave approval to hire consultants to utilize Measure BB money to resurface the athletic field at Malibu High School with synthetic turf and add permanent lights to be used up to 203 nights per year. Both projects require a permit change from the California Coastal Commission and variances from the City of Malibu.
Residents pointed out that Measure BB was to improve health, safety and class instruction. It seems doubtful that there will be sufficient money to address the projects that were designated as priorities under the bond measure, let alone to fund other projects that appear to be outside of its approved scope. Apparently no funds have been allocated to improvements to any of Malibu’s public elementary schools. Therefore the Board’s decision to allocate funds for these consulting contracts should be deferred until such time as the permanent lights and artificial turf are deemed to be part of the scope of BB and that there is sufficient money to fund all critical needs of all of the Malibu schools.
I applaud the plans for the new buildings and enhancements for their emphasis on sustainability and environmental protection. They are well-matched with great curricula on environmental responsibility. Consider the fantastic Cornucopia organic farm and outdoor classroom on the high school campus as an example. Malibu should be a leader in environmental causes given our unique geography, history and the city’s founding Mission Statement.
Contrast this with the proposal for the permanent outdoor sports lighting and synthetic turf. When deployed, the lights will create a jarring light bubble floating over the high school and surrounding neighborhood that will be visible from a long distance. The electricity-hungry lights will be attached to 80-foot poles that are taller than adjacent ridgelines, thus obscuring whitewater and star-filled views shared by residents, hikers, equestrians and our children. It will have a permanent, detrimental effect on the fragile local eco-system, especially night time-foraging wildlife. Consider this in a regulatory environment where local residents are not allowed to erect lighting for private tennis courts or have any other invasive lighting fixtures.
The synthetic surface proposed for the athletic fields requires treatment with a number of sanitizing and maintenance chemicals, which can find their way into the ocean. The materials are also linked to dangerous multiple-drug resistant Staph infections. For more information on these materials, visit www.synturf.org.
If this type of lighting and artificial field are approved by the Coastal Commission and the City, this represents a significant step towards the urbanization of the City in stark conflict with the City of Malibu’s own official vision statement.
Marshall Thompson