Based on slope rules in the Local Coastal Program, a tennis court was removed from plans for a home project in Point Dume.
By Jonathan Friedman / Assistant Editor
The Planning Commission listened to the neighbors on Monday and adjusted a proposed 7,000-square-foot home project for Point Dume before approving it.
Several Point Dume residents, including former California Coastal Commissioner Madelyn Glickfeld who provided an 11-page document criticizing the project, attended Monday’s meeting to voice their concerns about the proposal to construct a home on Whitesands Place. Their main objection was that a tennis court was proposed to be built on a steep slope, near a canyon. Although the canyon is not designated as an environmentally sensitive habitat area, the Malibu Local Coastal Program states that construction near Point Dume canyons should be avoided by not building on a greater than 25 percent slope.
Three of the four planning commissioners agreed with the neighbors and requested that the tennis court be removed from the project. Commissioner Regan Schaar said she felt the project was fine as it was proposed. The applicants, June and Jeff Louks, said they were fine with removing the tennis court from the plans. After the meeting, city planning critic John Mazza said he was pleased with the decision. Glickfeld did not comment, saying she does not speak to the media.
Also at the meeting, the commission approved a coastal development permit for the construction of 7,387-square-foot home on Carbon Road. Additionally, it approved coastal permits for two homes in West Malibu on Pacific Coast Highway, one totaling 7,975 square feet and the other measuring 6,876 square feet.
The Planning Commission meets again on Nov. 30 during a special meeting at which time it will consider the first amendment proposal to be presented to the Coastal Commission for the Malibu LCP. Their recommendation will go before the City Council for final approval before the amendment is sent to the Coastal Commission.
The amendment package the Planning Commission will consider is part of the recently made agreement between the city and the Coastal Commission. With the agreement, the city will send LCP amendment proposals to the Coastal Commission in phases. The first one includes a set of 20 items that have already been negotiated by the city and coastal staff and items selected by the city. After receiving and reviewing the first amendment proposal, the coastal staff within six months must either recommend its approval to the coastal voting body or suggest to the city how the amendment could be modified.
City Manager Katie Lichtig said in August that the new agreement is a significant step because of the features requiring coastal staff to at least comment on an amendment proposal, even if it does not support it, and that a six-month deadline is established for the staff to make a decision.