Does he not know?
Last Thursday in The Malibu Times Andy Stern stated that one of his goals as mayor was to start the building of Trancas Park.
What he probably doesn’t know is that what started out as a good idea for a troubled eight-acre property has now escalated into a massive development that is trying to cram too many things into a place that just can’t handle it.
If he knows anything about the building of the park, then he must know that the Planning Commission approved the EIR and is asking the Coastal Commission for a variance to grade 128,000 cubic yards of a ridge in Trancas Canyon. Aside from Pepperdine, the largest grading in Malibu, ever. The ridge is a natural rock formation that makes our neighborhood what it is, and they want to lower it 28 feet. It has caves that are the natural habitat for bats and other wildlife. According to people from the State Parks, it may even have archeological findings. All of this will be destroyed to create a flat acre for a dog park, and tot lot.
If Mr. Stern wanted to know what the park will actually look like, he’ll have the same problem we do. On the city’s Web site, all that represents the park is an aerial view. There are no elevations, save for one miserable representation that requires a microscope to read and is on one of the very last pages of the EIR appendixes. He should check out Appendix G, section 2, pages 17 and 18. Reading this is the only way that anyone can find out about the 28 feet of grading.
Mr. Stern, please ask your city geologist, planners, and architects to actually show you the plan for the massive grading and destruction of the ridge in our neighborhood, then tell us again how much you are for the park.
Right now Malibu West residents are fighting to “Save Our Ridge,” with an appeal to city council to be held on Feb. 23 at 6:30 at City Hall.
Most Malibu West residents are not against a park, but are against spoiling the natural beauty of our neighborhood and our environment to create too large of a park on a troubled piece of property.
Parks are supposed to preserve the land not destroy the land.
We urge the city council to take another look at alternative plans, and go with a smaller park. Do the right thing.
Save our Ridge!
John and Karen Norvet