I have to thank Steve Lopez of the Los Angeles Times for shedding some much needed light on the proposed “Castles in the Sky” that, dare I deem him a Malibuite, David Evans, aka “The Edge” of U2, wants to build up on the top of one of our pristine ridge lines.
Now this concern is beyond NIMBY-ism. One could argue that the outrage behind the controversial Trancas Park proposal was rife with that sentiment or even the LNG proposal, but after spending time with real Malibuites I have come to realize that we like our landscape; our dark nighttime skies, our unhindered views of the ocean from bluffs and hilltops that cascade to the water. And we’ll fight to keep them.
We are happy to give up the “convenience” of big-box stores, and are willing to drive in a bit of traffic to patronize them but we would love to have a real local hardware store!
We frequently are confused with real xenophobes who despise foreigners coming anywhere near their lands. That’s not us. We just want visitors to respect our home as we do and they are welcome. Obviously that last wish isn’t being fulfilled by Mr. Evans. If he thinks this proposal is so “green,” then why not take it to the Emerald Isle of Ireland where he comes from? You can bet that if he tried to develop such a project on one of their famed golf courses the torches and pitchforks would be used in full force. I hope our city council has the guts to face this head-on and recognize it for what it is and more importantly what it isn’t. I know at least one member who will.
As we end one year and begin another I have some suggestions for New Year’s resolutions for Mr. Evans: Change your name to “The Nudge,” as it seems your proposal won’t go away easily; donate the land to the conservancy; build your legacy for real green activism and take the tax write-off; understand what it means to be a real Malibuite.
Look up the definition of the word “hypocrisy.”
Robert Pousman