As a community, we often appear contentious. Groups with different priorities face off against each other, each believing they are right.
This civic drama changes when Malibu is in real trouble. Then Miracles happen. In the past, former opponents formed coalitions to save this land from nuclear plants, freeways rumbling over cut-off mountain tops, huge sewer systems and government suffocation that eventually led to cityhood.
Malibu is threatened again. The ten-year moratorium that protected us from massive development is over. Citizens need amenities. The City owns minimal land, only one small piece in Las Flores and some acreage in Charmlee Park. So what do we do? We join forces to create a positive vision of our future and look for ways to preserve our special quality of life.
The Miracle of coming together to save Malibu began to happen last November in the campaign for Advisory Bond Measure “O”. A diverse committee, principally funded by a member of the Malibu Coastal Land Conservancy (MCLC), introduced Measure “O” and was able to pass the measure with a majority vote of 59%.
After the November election, the MCLC initiated the first meeting of the real “Bond Campaign”. Citizens from every interest imaginable, trails, open spaces, wetlands, ballparks, community center, senior and youth activists, to name a few, enthusiastically participated in large community meetings. In subsequent meetings representatives from each of these groups joined together to form the bond steering committee.
The path to a final bond measure was not an easy trip. In many meetings, tensions ran high. What land should we buy first? For what purpose should it be used? How much should be spent on construction versus the acquisition of land?
The bond coalition was unable to achieve consensus on a top priority for the bond funds when Ozzie Silna, representing the MCLC, recognized that future generations are our highest priority. He suggested that the Bond money be used first to acquire land for recreational facilities for the children. In the spirit of cooperation, MCLC agreed to support a partial use of the funds for construction. More agreements followed and the coalition was galvanized, imbued with direction and a cooperative spirit.
Knowing that the community’s land acquisition goals would extend beyond November, the MCLC launched a ten million-dollar campaign for private money focused on acquiring land in the Civic Center. This combination of private and public funds could give the city a total of $25 million with which to seek matching grants and buy land for a new Malibu Miracle
Both of these campaigns are about the same thing–to acquire land for the city before it is developed. We encourage you to support both of these efforts to the best of your ability.
Lloyd Ahern, Anne Hoffman, Mona Loo, Patt Healy, Georgianna McBurney, Dierdre Roney, Ozzie Silna, Steve Uhring
Members of the Malibu Coalition for Parks and Land