RE: Village Project Nightmare or Dream by David Wallace, May 18, 2000
I admire many of Ed Niles buildings. There are two areas of concern which I have regarding his concept. First, putting buildings around “rooms” for public use usually invites tenants and landlords to encroach on this space.
Witness that signs have had to be posted to enforce the deeded park in the Malibu Country Mart. Even still Tra d’ Noi continues to create a false impression that the tables under its awning are theirs! They routinely put “RESERVED” on these tables, and most people respect this non-existent right.
My second concern is what exactly does the Malibu Bay Company, Ed Niles and the City Council envision our Civic Center will look like after these buildings are constructed? Do they actually think that a City Hall surrounded by malls and scattered trees is something the council and the citizens of Malibu will be proud of? Think of any city that you admire and enjoy visiting: Santa Barbara, Carmel, Monterey, Beverly Hills. All their civic centers are situated on a large park. What will Malibu Civic Center look like in four years, then ten years if the Malibu Bay Company development agreement goes through? Keep this thought in mind and ask yourself, “What are the chances that a city which has to sell its soul for some ball fields will come up with the cash to buy land and build elsewhere?” Furthermore, what a waste of public resources it would be if Malibu is forced to go down that road because of a lack of vision now.
Marilyn Dove