The foundation operated a farmers’ market for a few years, but was shut down after improper permitting was discovered.
By Olivia Damavandi / Staff Writer
The Cornucopia Foundation on March 19 submitted an application to the city for a conditional use permit that would allow it to manage and operate a farmers’ market on property owned by the County of Los Angeles at 23525 Civic Center Way.
The application is currently being reviewed by the Planning Commission, which will vote to approve or deny it at an undetermined date before sending it to city council for a vote. Ha Ly, associate planner for the city, said no other applications for farmers’ markets have been submitted by any other organizations.
There has been contention in the past over who would be able to operate a farmers’ market in Malibu. In March of 2007, three entities, including Cornucopia, had submitted applications to the city for conditional use permits. However, to date, none have been issued.
“We’re pretty much confident about it,” Debra Bianco, Cornucopia’s president, said Tuesday in a telephone interview. “There are one or two more documents we have to get to the city. After that, they’re supposed to give us a date [when it will go to hearing before the Planning Commission].”
One issue of confusion in the permitting process was whether Cornucopia needed permission from the County of Los Angeles to apply for a conditional use permit because it owns the Civic Center property, where the library and courthouse are located, on which the proposed farmers’ market would take place.
Ly said permission from the county is needed, but can be obtained before or after the application is submitted to the city.
“What we have on file is an e-mail from a representative of Los Angeles county granting what’s not exactly permission, but saying the county is willing to work with anyone the city was willing to approve a CUP for,” Ly said.
Bianco said she hopes the city will wave permit fees.
“Although we are very determined [to obtain the permit], it’s just been a little bit rough coming up with the money that the city requires,” Bianco said. “Just to hand in the application was $3,500.
“There’s probably a $6,000 permit fee for the CUP,” Bianco said. “In the past the city council has waived the fee. Let’s see what happens this time.”
Mayor Pro tem Sharon Barovsky said Tuesday in a telephone interview that waiving of any permit fees will have to be deliberated by the city.
The current application calls for the farmers’ market to take place every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. except when special events, such as the Lion Club’s flea market or the Chamber of Commerce’s summer art show, utilize the property.
Bianco said Cornucopia’s proposed market will be very similar to the one of its past, but will include more farmers, and more arts and crafts.
Cornucopia had managed and operated a farmers’ market on the same Los Angeles county-owned property in 2000, but city staff discovered in 2004 that prior planning staff had relied on an incorrect zoning map to issue a CUP and that an open air farmers’ market was neither a permitted use nor a conditionally permitted use in the area at that time.
The city will issue a public notice to all residents when a hearing date is set.