Everyday as you drive by Legacy Park you see hundreds of trees being planted-trees donated by residents of Malibu. In September, a beautiful park will be finished instead of a new shopping center. Malibu will have achieved what once seemed unachievable. Or will it?
Those who have not followed the history of Baykeeper’s ongoing war with legacy Park probably don’t know that Baykeeper filed a suit against the project when it was first planned. Because of that pending litigation the state withdrew $5 million in grant money. The city was then forced to use general fund money to complete the project. Money that could otherwise have been spent on law enforcement, education, or other projects. Baykeeper lost that suit in the trial court but by then the grant money was gone. They are now in appeals court. But wait, it gets better!
Last week, for some unknown reason, Baykeeper field an emergency motion to kill the project. Yes, at this late date, they are still trying to kill Legacy Park. Their excuse was to avoid “construction-period” impacts. Are they kidding? The detention basins are in, grading is done, and only the final landscaping is left.
Fortunately, it took only a nanosecond to deny Baykeeper’s request. So why is Baykeeper trying to stop a project that has been supported and praised by the likes of state Senator Fran Pavley, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavksy, Assemblymember Julia Brownley and numerous state agencies sand environmental group?
No one seems to know what motivates Baykeepers’ persistent legal vendetta, which has cost the city $5 million in grant money, not to mention wasted legal costs. It is rumored that a Baykeeper board member and large donor resigned when she didn’t receive a logical explanation.
Maybe Malibu resident Ozzie Silna or Steven Dahlberg can explain the unexplainable. They both sit on the Baykeeper’s Board of Directors and probably voted on the issue.
Lloyd Ahern