Dedicated facility provides support and consolidation of services for residents and business owners facing rebuilding
The daunting process of rebuilding a home or business after Malibu’s recent fires should get easier now that the city has opened the Malibu Rebuild Center that’s sole purpose is to provide valuable resources in one dedicated center.
After opening to the public, an official open house was held March 19 to invite those rebuilding to take advantage of the city’s endeavor to streamline the often confusing and lengthy process of a rebuild.
Before being elected to office, Mayor Pro Tem Marianne Riggins spent 17 years with the building and planning departments. She explained how helpful the dedicated center will be. “Based on lessons learned from Woolsey, staff has incorporated things that worked and built upon those.” As many as 20 people a day have been using the facility just south of City Hall for planning verifications and building plan checklists. Riggins emphasized the Rebuild Center is specifically dedicated to the fire rebuilds, “so you’re going to get specific service to your needs. It’s the focus of the entire team here. So, whether you need planning, public works, talk to one of the geologists or the coastal engineer, ifyou have a beachfront property, they’re all housed in here and have a representative. Even Los Angeles County fireDepartment and Water District 29 will be staffing part-time, so there will be days available for you to meet with county representatives.” Walk-ins are welcome, but Riggins recommends making an appointment if one needs to meet a county representative or if an architectural team is coming in for more “efficient service.”
Fire victim Cheryl Torrey found the center helpful saying, “I found out I can start the process immediately and I don’thave to wait for debris removal to start submitting plans.”
Although City Councilmember Haylynn Conrad did not lose her home, she wanted to learn about the rebuild process and accompanied two women to the center earlier in the week to help ease their concerns.
“They were overwhelmed with the process, but the staff here was amazing,” Conrad said. “They explained the process. I think at a time of technology where we all feel very isolated and disconnected this space is really going to be an integral part to feeling human, right? When you come into the center, I’ve experienced warmth and welcoming. And after that type of event that you went through, it’s really nice because it’s personable.”
“It’s designed to be a one stop center,” said Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart. “And one of the things that people realize very quickly, hopefully, is that things are happening concurrently as opposed to sequentially. We’re doing in one visit what might take several visits or several months to get done. Everybody in the center is dedicated to doing just rebuilds. This is not for other development in the city. It’s our resource to help people get back into their homes”
“I would recommend everybody come in: Property owners, come in, talk to staff yourself, find out the process, find out the information,” said Riggins. “Come back multiple times. It is a process that takes people several times of askingquestions. So, don’t be afraid to have repeat turns here so that you find out all your information. And stay involved in the process. Make sure that you’re getting copied and that you are part of the team. This is your house and you need to be part of the team to have the best return and get you back in your home as quickly as possible. We’re set up so we canhelp you, so please come and talk with the staff.”
Having human interaction after the complexity of online forms to fill out was important to Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart who questioned staff about the attitude of people leaving the Rebuild Center. “They said, people walked out with ‘hope and a smile on their face and with a very positive attitude.’ So, hopefully we can replicate that for everybody coming through, but the intention is to try and make people see that there’s a future about rebuilding.”
The Malibu Rebuild Center is located at 23805 Stuart Ranch Road, Suite 240. Center hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Appointments encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome.
To make an appointment email MalibuRecovers@MalibuCity.org or call (310) 456-2489, ext. 400
For more information, visit MalibuRebuilds.org
