Bluffs Park is about 96 acres. Ninety acres are coastal scrub, six acres are grass fields, ball fields, community center and parking. The state plans to spend about $5 million to tear up the six acres and replace them with more coastal scrub. They want to spend another $3 million to move the ball fields 200 feet, onto adjacent land owned by Mr. Roy Crummer. Neither the state nor Malibu has $3 million to do this, so it is unlikely new ball fields will be built at all.
Mr. Crummer already has a development agreement on the table with the City of Malibu. In it, he donates land for three ball fields in exchange for developing more houses on the remaining land (Crummer Deal #1). Yet, State Parks officials, saying they were speaking for the Coastal Commission too, said Crummer Deal #1 was pass. Their plan was Crummer Deal #2.
Residents told them it was incumbent upon Malibuites to achieve agreement on both the three fields Mr. Crummer had offered to our city AND the three fields at Bluffs Park. Even with those six fields, we are still nine fields short of what we are supposed to have to serve our current population.
Moreover, the new plan ignores the fact that Bluffs Park is a perfect model of the state’s own policy of creating parks with varied uses co-existing in harmony. Los Angeles residents and tourists share Bluffs Park to celebrate weddings, play adult and child soccer and baseball, whale watch, dogwalk, picnic. The Chumash hold religious and cultural rituals. Wheelchair bound people can really get out and roll on extensive paved walkways. Musical concerts delight their sing-along audiences. Hikers explore the already existing 90 acres of native coastal scrub. The Michael Landon Community Center offers classes in everything from Yoga to dog obedience training. Our dog classmates were from all over the Valley and the Westside. Bluffs Park creates one community from many diverse people.
State Parks and the Coastal Commission plan to spend $8 million to replace this stellar model of a multi-use park with a small visitor center that teaches about coastal scrub. They will not consider just adding a visitor center to the already existing park.
Why? The official answer is “Viewshed.” This means bureaucrats think it is $8 million prettier to look at backstops from the left than the front. Under the new plan, you’ll see the baseball backstops 200 feet to the left from where they are now, as you enter the park. The shocking arrogance of so wasting $8 million taxpayer dollars-and during this state’s biggest fiscal crisis ever! With judgment this poor, State Parks and Coastal Commission do not deserve an iota of our trust, a penny of our money or a square foot of Bluffs Park. Please join me in expressing this opinion to our governor.
Deirdre Roney