KBUU NEWSWIRE 11:35 AM TUESDAY JULY 14
Malibu’s Planning Commission was slapped down by the City Council last night. Big time.
And the city’s new mayor made it clear to the Planning Commission … you work for us.
The issue was remodeling mansion on the ocean west of Broad Beach …
The Planning Commission had rejected the request … even though the request had met the standards being used by city hall for years.
Planning Commissioners said the city codes were contradictory … so they took the strictest possible view.
Nope … said the city council.
This was a case of the Planning Commission trying to rewrite the city zoning codes … on their own … as the new Mayor Mikke Pierson saw it.
Pierson told planning commissioners … if the codes are unclear … come to us and we’ll write new ones.
But as far as planning commissioners changing city policy … stop it.
NEWSCART 75718 MIKKE CODES
“If we don’t like the code let’s change it or clean it up. But on the fly, it’s not the planning commission’s job to change the code.
“And at some point they are going to have to know the difference.
“A lot of you have been alone around a long time.
“And these appeals are coming up the works.
“You are creating a system where only the rich can afford to even attempt to build in Malibu.
“And I urge you to stop it, help us clean up the code.
“Don’t make it up on the fly.”
The Planning Commissioners … particularly John Mazza and Steve Uhring … have been campaigning to use total development size limitations … and “neighborhood character” … to reject some proposed residential changes.
The new mayor was not happy with that … either.
NEWSCART 75717 MIKKE CHARACTER
“On the neighborhood character (issue), recently you went to not approve a house that had over 20 letters in support and none against.
“Another went over 30 letters in support and none against.
“But still some of you voted against it.
“Your definition of neighborhood character is seriously in question with me
“I may not like the house personally either but if the neighbors vote for it …
“I … I … I don’t understand where you can make that determination I really don’t.
“We are here to serve to public … and it is not about serving ourselves.”
Council member Rick Mullen … and Skylar Peak … elected on a slow growth platform … also voted to overturn the Planning Commission’s rejection of the house.