The controversy recently raised over concerns about a proposed commercial project in the Point Dume area was addressed this weekend as a group of about 20 homeowners met with the architect of the development.
The homeowners met at the side of the road with architect Ed Niles to review plans to build office buildings totaling 14,950 square feet at the corner of Portshead Road and Pacific Coast Highway.
The main issues that concern some are problems that may be associated with traffic, and the apparent late disclosure of the project, leaving some city officials unaware of it.
“I just found out about it last week,” said city councilmember and former mayor, Tom Hasse. “Commercial development is a very big issue in Malibu and has been since the city was incorporated.”
Hasse said that no mention of a pending application for the project was made when hearings took place on an adjacent Malibu Bay Co. development agreement.
Niles said he had started the project in 1984 when the property had a different owner and long before the Malibu Bay Company plans were in discussion. Arnold and Emma Klein are the current owners.
“All these projects are available to the public when they are submitted,” said Niles. “I submitted it last year. The problem is the processing period is so long and after going through all the agencies, you never know how the project is going to end up.”
Niles said he already amended plans to accommodate the city trails system and for biological requirements and made other mandated modifications.
As far as traffic concerns, residents say that the intersection where the property’s main driveway exits creates a hazard.
“We need to do something to make that corner safer. The main driveway out of this building will go out into Portshead Road,” said Judy Decker, co-president of the Point Dume Homeowners Association. “There’s no other way to go out to PCH because they don’t own the land all the way to PCH. When you make a turn at PCH, you can’t see what’s coming over the rise and on a busy day, it’s practically impossible to turn left.”
Niles, who shared those concerns, said he had attempted to get Caltrans to make the intersection safer, but needed the support of the city and residents in order to persuade Caltrans to widen the intersection or take other safety measures.
According to Decker, most of the homeowners were pleased with the esthetic design of the building model that was displayed on the hood of Niles’ car.
“The idea of the building is that it is very low key,” explained Niles, who has been working in the city for 33 years and also designed the Malibu Pavilion and Zuma Terrace. “People come to Malibu for the ‘natural setting.’ This building is sunken into the ground a little bit. We’re below PCH and below Portshead. It’s not seen.”
All the future tenants, primarily Malibu-based professionals such as architects, attorneys and accountants, Niles pointed out, will have access to gardens on the property from their single story buildings.
The building project on the 2.29-acre lot and potential traffic problems will be discussed at the city’s Planning Commission meeting on Aug. 20.