Despite residents’ concerns and objections to the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority’s (MRCA) Puerco Canyon Camp and Trailhead Project, the project itself is set in stone with prior support and funding of the California Coastal Commission (CCC).
At the last meeting on July 11 in Santa Cruz, CCC Executive Director Jack Ainsworth said in his report, “The MRCA is running overnight programs for underserved youth there [Puerco Canyon] and has plans for a new camping facility utilizing four million dollars in funding from the commission’s low-cost overnight accommodation in-lieu fees.”
This $4 million stems from a decision made years ago at an August 2015 LA County Board of Supervisors meeting, where the board approved the MRCA’s proposal for a camping facility to serve underserved youth.
At the time, as part of a public statement, Supervisor Sheila Kuehl said, “It makes me really happy that we’ll be providing a great camping experience in Puerco—a safe and gorgeous part of the Santa Monica Mountains.”
At a coastal commission meeting later that month, the commissioners approved a five-house project proposal from the city at the 24-acre former Crummer property located next to Malibu Bluffs Park.
The project was controversial because some prior zoning maps listed the area as visitor-serving—not residential. Project developers managed to strike a deal with the commission in lieu of providing visitor access.
Developer Robert Gold promised to pay a total of $4 million to the state and $1 million to the City of Malibu to build residential buildings on the property. The $4 million funds—low-cost overnight accommodation in-lieu fees—were directed toward the MRCA’s project.
The agency looks now to prepare an environmental impact report for the project, located at the end of Puerco Canyon Road outside of Malibu city limits.
A June 27 scoping meeting held at Temescal Gateway Park in Pacific Palisades—“for the convenience of property owners and residents in the project area,” according to the state agency—drew the ire of many residents, who complained that the meeting was held at an inconvenient time and place. Several took the time to voice concerns about the high fire danger in an area like Puerco Canyon.
The Malibu Times received numerous letters regarding the project in the days following the meeting, as did the City of Malibu.
When asked about the project, City Manager Reva Feldman directed the Times to the city’s response to the MRCA’s scoping session. The first item states, “The project description was insufficiently detailed for the city and the public to provide a meaningful response,” and goes on to list numerous concerns prepared by Bonnie Blue, the city’s planning director.
Now, Malibuites will wait to see what the MRCA’s EIR for the Puerco Canyon project will encompass.