Why should anyone in Malibu care about the County’s Grading and Ridgeline Ordinance? Because if we’ve learned anything from Malibu’s land use battles, it’s that once an absurd law gets adopted in one coastal jurisdiction, it inevitably gets forced on the rest of us. Who would have believed 10 years ago that homeowners in the Santa Monica Mountains would now be asked to sign deed restrictions never to allow cats, dogs, or horses on their properties? Or that they are being forced to pay upwards of $30,000 to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy for clearing brush on their own land. (The Conservancy claims de facto title merely because the land is located within the Santa Monica Mountains, and the Malibu LCP contains the same brush clearance fee requirement).
If the County is allowed to map vast areas of private home lots as public view easements, the Coastal Commission is guaranteed to impose those easements on Malibu lots. They already have successfully rezoned thousands of yards in La Jolla from SFR (single family) to POS (Public Open Space), which homeowners cannot use for any purpose, no additions, pools, play areas, gardens etc. (See www.sdslu.com for the La Jolla residents’ lawsuit against the CCC’s rezoning and takings of thousands of lots).
If the County really wanted to protect the character of the Santa Monica Mountains, they would exempt equestrian and agricultural uses from the ordinance’s outright building bans. Regardless of whether your ranch is one, five or 100 acres, the Grading and Ridgeline Ordinance only allows you to use 15,000 square feet, including your driveway and fire department turnaround. Any use above that is at the discretion of the County after years of public hearings and studies, and will probably be denied unless you give a conservation easement over all the remaining area of your lot. Don’t stand by and let the County take horses and recreation out of the mountains. Attend the hearing on Tuesday, October 26, at 10 a.m. and go to www.savehomeowners.com for more information.
Anne Hoffman