This letter responds to Judy Decker’s characterization in last week’s letters to the editor of the former LCP Committee deliberations. I am most disappointed that she would make such statements. I chaired the committee for the almost six years it existed and every effort was made, and most members cooperated, in coming to decisions by consensus. If consensus could not be achieved the issue was determined by majority vote. There was a high level of agreement on major issues and concerns.
Her memory does not serve her well. It was the Coastal staff–not the council–who told the committee to “use the 1986 County Plan wherever possible.” It was the paid consultant, Paul Crawford–not the council–who asked the committee to review the policies of the 1986 County LCP to determine which policies were still relevant and appropriate for inclusion in a Malibu LCP. The language that the LCP would supersede the General Plan if there were conflicts came from the 1986 County LCP, not the committee. The Land Use designations in the 2000 administrative draft LCP are exactly the same as the General Plan –not those used by the county. Other than hiring the consultant, the council had no input into our deliberations. I don’t know how two council members “dominate” a five member council or how four members of a committee could “dominate” a 10 person committee.
The Plan had not been submitted to the City Council because coastal regulations provide that during the preparation of an LCP the local government coordinates with coastal staff. The committee would have liked more meetings with coastal staff — but only the planning director could set them up. He told us we should have all parts of the plan together before meeting with them again. That’s why the planning director submitted the 2000 draft to coastal staff for their comments. The committee expected to receive those comments prior to finalizing the draft, but the new City Council disbanded the committee.
Mrs. Decker claims that the coastal staff “rejected” the 2000 Administrative draft LCP at a meeting on March 16, 2000, but that draft was not submitted by city staff for coastal staff review until March 23. Subsequently, when the new planning director was hired he made it clear he did not like the “size” of the draft LCP and preferred including it in the General Plan. He was told that the advice of the General Plan legal consultant was to prepare the LCP as a separate document. AB 988 giving the Coastal Commission authority to prepare Malibu’s Local Coastal Plan was approved, without the city opposing it, by a legislature that did not know a complete draft LCP had been submitted for coastal staff review several months prior to initiation of the bill.
Dr. Werner Koenig
Chairman, former Local Coastal Plan Committee