The council did not take a final vote on basement and other underground structure definitions. Also, a decision on whether the city will sponsor a Malibu Marathon has been put on hold indefinitely as the event’s organizer has been unable to get a Caltrans permit to close part of Pacific Coast Highway.
By Jonathan Friedman/Staff Writer
After several hours of discussion Monday night, the City Council voted to continue deliberations on drafting an ordinance regarding basement, subterranean garage and cellar development standards until its first meeting in September. The ordinance has been in the works for four and a half years, with the goal being to restrict the size of these structures and to make them less visible, including a loophole that allows people to build a quasi-third floor. Most of the major issues have been decided upon, although the council asked for staff to come back with more information on some of the more technical details.
A major feature of the ordinance proposal is that the underground structures’ square footage is counted toward the calculation of the total square footage of the home. Currently, any underground structures’ size is not counted toward the total. A home’s size in Malibu is limited to 15 percent of the lot size. According to the proposal, one square foot would be counted toward the square footage of a home for every two square feet the underground structure is larger than 1,000 square feet. According to city staff, this would limit the visual impact of exposed walls from the underground structure. Also, exposed walls from the underground structures would be limited to no more than four feet above the ground. In addition, established definitions would be made to differentiate among basements, subterranean garages and cellars.
Marathon decision postponed
Also at the meeting, the council chose to indefinitely postpone a decision on whether the city should sponsor the Malibu Marathon. The marathon, scheduled to take place in December, would require the closure of a portion of Pacific Coast Highway. Glen Steele, the organizer of the event, has had trouble getting a permit to do that from the California Department of Transportation because, according to a city staff report, “concerns have been raised by Caltrans in relation to this event meeting their criteria for issuance of a special event permit.”
Steele first went to the City Council to seek city sponsorship, which would give him a city staff liaison and assistance in securing the necessary state permits needed for the event. The council chose not to make a decision until the item went before the Parks and Recreation Commission. Despite this, it was discovered that the event’s Web site listed the city as a sponsor. The statement, which Steele attributed to a misunderstanding on his part, was later removed. The Parks and Recreation Commission later recommended the city endorse the event. The item was then supposed to go before the council earlier this month. However, Malibu resident Tony Griffin had sent a letter to Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich stating that Steele was not the appropriate person to put on the marathon, and that there was not enough time to plan it for the end of this year anyhow. Since Griffin could not attend the meeting earlier this month, the item was continued to this week’s meeting.
Community awards
A presentation was made to former Councilmember Joan House for her contribution to the community. She was given a plaque that contained three mayor’s badges, representing her three terms as mayor. House left the council in April after choosing not to seek a fourth term. She had been on the council for 12 years, the most amount of time anybody has ever served on the council. Also at the meeting, a proclamation was presented to Malibu’s State Park’s Superintendent Hayden Sohm. He received a promotion from State Parks, and will be leaving Malibu. Lastly, a Malibu Tile was presented to Dan Wallace, who is moving out of the city. A resident of Malibu for nearly 40 years, he has served on the Public Works Commission and the Public Safety Commission. Wallace was an active member for many years with the Malibu Township Council.