Though much of Monday’s meeting was dominated by a massive appeal from frustrated Malibu school community members, the City Council also deliberated a number of other items, including preferential parking permits at Point Dume and an idea to remove hundreds of eucalyptus trees throughout Malibu that could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Councilmember Laura Rosenthal’s proposed eucalyptus tree removal plan for the city which, according to the staff report, could call for removal of over 875 trees, brought out several community members to oppose the idea.
“Eucalyptus trees are non-native, highly flammable trees that pose a fire danger,” reads the agenda report.
City staff has estimated it could cost $1,000 per tree, meaning close to $900,000. Many opponents cited environmental concerns, especially for monarch butterfly migration patterns.
“I’m speaking on behalf of the Malibu Monarch Project,” said Pat Healy, the leader of the MMP.
“It just so happens that the favorite roosting habitat of the monarchs is eucalyptus trees and sycamores here in Malibu,” Healy said, “so for these reasons we ask that you do not proceed to go forward with this project to remove the eucalyptus trees.”
Council seemed to side with the community, as members Lou La Monte and Joan House did not mince words in their distaste for the tree removal plan.
“I think spending all this money to chop down all these trees in Malibu is just not a good idea from my point of view,” said La Monte.
“This is another one of those issues that, you know, I’m not going to support what’s here tonight at all. But I can support, when there’s time available, sending it to the environmental review board or public works,” said House, adding, “I don’t think we vet things enough and this has to be vetted.”
It was still a slight victory for Rosenthal, though, as Mayor Skylar Peak later called for what he named a “comprehensive tree plan” to be created by public works to study what the impact of the tree removal would be.
The motion passed unanimously with a 5-0 vote in favor.
Point Dume condos get parking permits
Parking might be getting easier for residents of a couple of select condominium complexes in Point Dume, as the council voted 5-0 in a final approval of a parking permit system.
“There’s never any doggone parking on the street,” said resident Santos Flanikan, who referred to parking on Heathercliff as a “revolving door” of Pavilions employees trading places. Flanikan was at the meeting hoping to expand the preferential parking area beyond the two condominium complexes where they will currently be available, which are Heathercliff Condominiums and Dume View Villas Condominiums.
“Had I been more abreast of the timing, I would have been more on top of this,” said Flanikan.
As it stands, the preferential parking passes are to be issued to residents of nearby condominiums and do not guarantee spaces; rather, they allow permit holders the opportunity to park in one of 18 available spaces for unlimited time.
“The proposed ordinance will restrict parking to 90 minutes between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. seven days a week except with a permit,” said Planner Bonnie Blue, the staff contact for the proposed project.
Peak proposed that Flanikan collect signatures if he wants the permits expanded.
“What I would like one of our staff people to do is, let’s clue Santos in to what they need to do in order to get that side of the street,” Peak said.
“I see this as a problem of us pushing this farther down the road,” Peak added, expressing concern that parking along PCH may eventually expand if more permits are issued.