The Malibu Coalition for Slow Growth (MCSG) speaks out against projects before the city which are not in keeping with the semi-rural residential nature of Malibu and which will overburden our delicate infrastructure. In an effort to avoid urbanization and preserve that which is worthy of protection MCSG is in opposition to a project called Forge Lodge. This so-called bed and breakfast is to be built on the property of the Beaurivage restaurant on the edge of Solstice Creek. It is being touted by the city staff as the type of development Malibu needs and desires. When you study the project, you quickly notice that nothing could be further from reality.
The project is really the equivalent of seven bed and breakfasts. It will consist of seven rectangular stucco buildings, each 260 feet shy of the 4,000 square feet of mass. Each building, with decks, is larger than the current Beaurivage restaurant. In fact, it is the equivalent of 7.7 Beaurivage restaurants. The structures will be located entirely within the 100-foot setback of the beautiful and fragile Solstice Creek. To build this project, the developer must be granted by the City Council numerous exceptions to the zoning code and, we believe, an amendment to the General Plan.
Many in the community have spoken in favor of the project under the misconception that the Forges will be there to build and run the largest bed and breakfast in all of Los Angeles County, if not the world. This is not the case. The applicants will be retiring and a yet undisclosed entity will be in charge of a project that is better suited for Santa Monica than Malibu. This is, for Malibu, a gargantuan project.
Malibu Coalition for Slow Growth is asking the City Council to deny this inappropriate and massive project and invite the developer to come back with a project design that adheres to the city’s zoning code, respects Malibu’s rural nature, protects this sensitive resource area and does not create a traffic hazard. Malibu deserves much better than what is currently designed.
Patt Healy
Malibu Coalition for Slow Growth