On the evening of Feb. 27, the City Council, while considering its final approval of the proposed LCP amendments to be sent to the Coastal Commission, voted to postpone submission of its LCP amendment for the rezoning of the Trancas-PCH property to a later date. I was incensed by said action because I strenuously believe that it is inconsistent with the settlement agreement entered into between Trancas-PCH and the city, which requires both parties to act in good faith and “not take any action to prevent or delay the approval and recordation of the final map” for the reduced project described in the agreement.
Because of my anger over the council’s action, which I believed justified, I made comments to the council and to the press which, while taken out of context in my opinion, were nevertheless wrong. I should not have made them. They were not appropriate.
First, I want to publicly apologize to Andy Stern. Although Mayor Stern was the only member of the City Council to oppose Trancas-PCH’s dismissal of its lawsuit last November, he did vote in favor of the settlement agreement in April, 2003, which includes the public dedication of 26.5 acres of Trancas-PCH’s property for open space and ball fields. I hope that my comments, spoken in anger, will not cause Mayor Stern to view the city’s settlement with Trancas-PCH negatively, resulting in the loss of needed recreational facilities for the city and its residents.
Secondly I want to apologize to Trancas-PCH’s attorney, Alan Block. Alan is a good, ethical attorney. He negotiated the settlement which, after so many years, turned Trancas-PCH and the city into partners with a common goal, rather than adversaries. I was wrong to attack his reputation in Malibu because I was angered by the council’s decision to postpone its LCP amendment for the rezoning of the Trancas-PCH property.
I ask both Mayor Stern and Mr. Block to forgive me for the statements I made to and about them in anger.
Dean R. Isaacson