Trancas: Emergency access easement reached, details unclear

The Malibu West homeowner’s association spent months negotiating with owner representatives of the shopping center over the creation of an emergency evacuation route, which was a condition of city approval. Several neighborhoods located off Trancas Canyon Road, which is the only way in and out to PCH, had concerns about traffic issues that would prevent fire trucks from getting in or residents from evacuating. Although the terms of the agreement are private, Parker- Bozylinski told the City Council in January that an easement is now granted and in place, but details about how many people can use it, whether it would be gated or paved, etc., have not been disclosed. 

Lighting plan meets resistance 

Trancas Market legal representatives also met resistance from neighbors last month over their proposal to grandfather three tall lighted signs that no longer meet zoning requirements. The plan was voted down by the Planning Commission, and the owners will now have to come back with a new master sign plan. 

The representatives also had to rethink the center’s overall night lighting plan. They rescheduled Planning Commission hearings for their proposal to add 43 pole-mounted lights to the parking lot several times, then backed off once night lighting became an issue for the city, especially in the Malibu Park area. The developer’s most recent lighting permit application asks for exceptions for four additional lights on PCH. 

A legal agreement between the center’s owners, Zuma Beach, LLC, and local resident Hans Laetz, specifies that a right-hand turn lane must be built on PCH from the bridge to the Trancas intersection. A plan for the turn lane was submitted to Caltrans last year, which was still in planning stages, Laetz said. 

“Last I heard was Caltrans and the developer had met to finalize plans for the turn lane,” Laetz said. However, no actual work has started yet on the road. 

The next fight between residents and the developer may be the new truck loading and angled parking zone on Trancas Canyon Road. Some say it is a safety hazard because trucks will block visibility, and cars coming around the corner from PCH onto Trancas can run into cars leaving parking spots, which will be forced to back directly out into the street.