In response to the “Rob Reiner Initiative” story in the June 11, 2014, edition of The Malibu Times:
Rob Reiner wants the residents of Malibu to vote on each and every development in Malibu. He blames our politicians, who he implies are corrupt, for trying to change our “town.”
Our City has to deal with the other governing bodies, like Caltrans, Beaches and Harbors, the Coastal Commission, State Parks, and the State’s Regional Water Quality Board. Nonprofits like Heal the Bay, Surfrider and many others also weigh in. I don’t remember seeing Mr. Reiner at Regional Water Quality Board meetings to testify against the imposition of a sewer system for the Civic Center area, let alone attend the State Water Quality Board meeting in Sacramento. Our elected City Council, City employees and many property owners did travel and testify against it. It’s unfair and dishonest to imply that the City Council or any employees or members of various Commissions were in favor of the having the sewer imposed on us.
Is Rob Reiner even aware that without hooking up to a sewer, he is forbidden to use his existing septic system starting Nov. 4, 2019? What’s his plan to deal with that? Perhaps a fleet of pumping trucks clogging our roads on a daily basis.
On the very first page of the initiative, he also blames “politicians for rushing through approvals for a massive and exclusive Hotel-condominium resort.” Walt Keller and Carolyn Van Horn led City Council, that passed that project around 18 years ago on a 4-1 vote. The only vote against the Hotel project was Joan House.
The Reiners, who didn’t attend the City Council or Planning Commission meetings on any of these subjects, want other people who do not have in depth information about the proposed developments, State laws or Federal constraints to decide the fate of our City budget and commercial centers.
Why was one shopping center exempted in the initiative? Who knew it was there?
Paul Grisanti