Planners must pay heed

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The following edited letter was addressed to the Planning Commission.

The Board Members of the Malibu Park Homeowners Association want to express our gratitude to all of you for allowing us the opportunity to present our Appeal No. 05-003. We are aware of the time and energy each of you gives serving on the Planning Commission. Thank you for taking on the huge responsibility of making difficult decisions on behalf of the community of Malibu.

This Appeal, No. 05-003, also became a huge task for our Malibu Park Homeowners Association Board Members. We spent a great amount of time serving our community as we prepared our 200-page report. Our presentation was a professionally prepared document as we researched our issues with expert consultants and based our appeal on the LCP and Malibu General Plan.

Our intention with the Appeal No. 05-003 was to provide the Planning Commission with additional information and question the accuracy of content of the building permit for the 17,882 square foot Malibu Park development at 5700 Sea View. We were certain that the Planning Commission made their final approval (Feb. 24, 2005) based on errors and incorrect information. Additionally, each of you agreed with our concerns about the Sea View project size, height and overall character, which, by its design, will change the “neighborhood character” as, defined in the LCP.

It was our hope that our Appeal No. 05-003 presentation would enable the Planning Commission to take the opportunity to review the project, reconsider issues or make changes based on the new standards of the LCP. The Planning Commission took little action on behalf of the Malibu Park community.

Other cities, such as Santa Monica, have passed new laws curtailing the blight of mega development. Neighboring Beverly Hills has lost much of its historic character and the fabric of neighborhoods to rampant mansionization. Malibu’s recent change in the basement regulation, although too late for this project, is a good beginning but just that, a beginning. The Sea View project could not be built under the new basement regulation which is a good thing. Downsizing the building envelope in Malibu is one way to retain our rural environment and the quality of life that lures so many newcomers.

We considered yet another Appeal because of the validity of our concerns. These issues are absolutely worthy of a rigorous debate. But we have decided at this time to put our time and energies towards working with the city in order to defend our quality of life by defining “neighborhood character.” This is critical to the future of all our Malibu communities.

Maybe some positive things will come out of this debacle.

Dawn Navarro-Ericson and Pat Greenwood

Board Members, Malibu Park

Homeowners Association