Next Monday, the biggest April Fool’s Day joke ever pulled on the City of Malibu quietly goes before the Planning Commission. A developer is going to try to quietly get a loophole that would enable the construction of—not just his project—but three shopping center/office buildings next to Legacy Park, plus the Rancho Malibu hotel.
The La Paz shopping mall was approved by City Council four years ago. Instead of the standard Coastal Development Permit that requires construction to begin within two years, Don Schmitz was given a four-year CDP. It actually has already expired, but city staff has found a loophole and is asking the Planning Commission to extend it another four years! Everybody else in Malibu gets two years, and a one year extension. La Paz wants almost nine years! That is not fair.
Why so long? The city gave Schmitz the extra years because it knew he would have problems getting Caltrans to sign off on the “PCH La Paz Lane.” As a condition of approval, the city in 2008 said La Paz cannot be built until a right turn lane from PCH onto Cross Creek Road is squeezed in. Caltrans has still not approved this terrible idea, which could end up realigning PCH right into the new lagoon parking lot.
Without the La Paz Lane on PCH, none of the other Civic Center projects can be built. Weintraub’s oversized hotel, Perenchio’s office building, plans for the other vacant commercial land and Whole Foods all rely on the La Paz Lane. If the Planning Commission kills La Paz, as is only fair, it’s back to the drawingboard for all the developers.
Hans Laetz