Planning Commission to address SMC property purchase
At its meeting on Tuesday, the Planning Commission will vote on a recommendation to the City Council on changing the zoning of the Yamaguchi Family Trust-owned property next to City Hall to allow for educational facilities. There is a tentative deal for Santa Monica College to buy the 7-acre site, with the property currently in a 90-day escrow. The property is not zoned to allow education facilities, so a zoning change would need to be approved by the City Council and the California Coastal Commission before SMC could build anything the site.
The Malibu Public Facilities Authority, a committee consisting of SMC and city of Malibu officials, was scheduled to meet Tuesday after The Malibu Times went to print, with the Yamaguchi property purchase on the agenda. Look for details of that meeting at www.malibutimes.com later this week.
Malibu Country Club has new owner
A newly formed company called Malibu Associates recently purchased the Malibu Country Club, which is located in Trancas Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains, for approximately $30 million. The country club was previously owned by Fuji International Inc.
Club general manager Dan Meherin told the Malibu Surfside News last week that the new owner wants to improve the golf course, including possibly building a residential resort there.
City Council meetings headed for the Web
The City Council approved a measure at its meeting Monday night to put coverage of its meetings on the city’s Web site. According to a staff report, live meetings will begin airing on the Web site in November. Archived meetings will also appear on the site.
It will cost the city an initial set-up fee of $8,400 to do web streaming, with an annual cost of $7,200.
Trial begins on Santa Monica Farmers’
Market tragedy
The trial began this week for George Russell Weller, the 89-year-old man who killed ten people three years ago when he drove his car through the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market. Weller is charged with 10 counts of vehicular manslaughter. He faces up to 18 years in prison if convicted.
Among those killed in the July 2003 incident was Lynne Weaver, wife of director Rob Weaver, and daughter-in-law of the late actor Dennis Weaver and his wife, Gerry, who has a home in Malibu.
Weller, who appeared at the first day of the trial in a wheelchair, has been granted permission to be absent from most of the proceedings. He did not attend jury selection.
Portions of Topanga Canyon Blvd. closed
this week
Topanga Canyon Boulevard is closed this week at certain times of the day due to a construction project that began July 5.
The road is closed southbound from Topanga Creek Bridge to Pacific Coast Highway Wednesday to Friday from 10 a.m. 3 p.m. That portion of the road is also closed Wednesday from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
On Thursday and Friday from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., the road will be closed from Topanga Creek Bridge to Grandview Drive.
Flaggers will be in place to manage traffic, according to the California Department of Transportation.
The $5.5 million project will replace existing pavement with rubberized asphalt concrete, and includes restriping, installing new metal beam guardrails and widening roadway shoulders at a limited number of locations. Caltrans officials said the project will take approximately a year to complete.
More information about the project and road closures can be obtained by calling Judy Gish from Caltrans at 213.897.3487.
—Jonathan Friedman