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Official summer beach plans finalized
Motorcycles, dogs and drinking at the beach.
Those were the main concerns discussed at a meeting at City Hall of city, county and state officials recently. The objective was for representatives of the various agencies to outline plans for summer 2001.
Because of the number of complaints about motorcyclists, the sheriffs said they plan to have four traffic officers on patrol all the time during the summer, with two additional motorcycle patrolmen on weekends to patrol the canyons.
Sheriff Lieutenant Thom Bradstock said they have received complaints about their department being too aggressive in checking the contents of coolers for alcohol, so they are planning to tone down the cooler checking, but he made it clear that drinking alcohol is still illegal at the beach.
The sheriffs also announced that in case of a disaster, their pre-chosen sites for a command post are Carbon Canyon Fire Station, Malibu City Hall and Malibu High School.
There was also some discussion of the three big holidays that impact Malibu heavily-Memorial Day, the 4th of July and Labor Day. Last year there was a problem with gang members coming to the beach, but because the sheriffs hired extra people, they feel they were able to quell any violence with what they call a “show of intent” if not a “show of force.”
A new problem facing Malibu this summer is the prospect of a temporary power shortage. If the power goes out, so do the traffic signals, and PCH can get backed up all the way to Santa Monica. Although no one from Edison attended the meeting, an Edison official was quoted as saying that if a problem occurs, it will probably be on a weekend, in the morning.
Another special event discussed was the “Gays At The Beach” event on June 30th, with an estimated 2,000 to 5,000 attending. Because they hire their own security as well as off-duty sheriffs, this event has not been a problem in the past, other than the lack of follow-through on cleaning up the site afterwards.
Craig Sap, a lifeguard and peace officer assigned to Pt. Dume, said there is a problem with marijuana use back in the tall vegetation, and thanked the sheriffs for their frequent patrols. “It was the Wild West before we had the beach patrol,” he said.
The rangers in Malibu State Park, who have a staff of 12 for all the state parks in the area, said that dogs are a problem at their parks, but that dogs are allowed in some park areas if they are on a leash.
One beach where dogs are not allowed is Leo Carillo in the tide pool areas. At Zuma, an accommodation has been worked out where dogs are allowed on the boardwalk but not on the sand. At Nicholas Beach, dogs are allowed on the upper boardwalk.
The lifeguards said they will be calling on the sheriffs to help them with dog disputes “because sometimes taking 30 minutes to convince a dog owner not to walk his dog on the beach takes us away from our jobs too long.”
A new regulation requires those with dogs to carry plastic bags for animals droppings. Failure of a pet owner to have a bag could result in a citation.
One pro-dog move was the announcement of a park that will be opening in Los Flores Canyon and will have a portion dedicated to dog walking.
Officials from the lifeguards said they will have boats based in Santa Monica on call for aquatic emergencies.
A procedure is also going to be implemented to tag lost items when they are found.
Malibu Towing announced they now have a four-wheel-drive vehicle to tow vehicles stuck in the sand.
One problem nobody had a solution for was that of beach-goers being hit by cars on PCH as they cross PCH on foot after parking on the inland side.
“We do what we can,” said the program moderator. The sheriffs added that speed enforcement will be particularly diligent in the areas where pedestrians are crossing.
Paradise found again
The recent settlement approved by the residents of Paradise Cove represents a remarkable sea change in one of the most beautiful spots in Malibu. The credit for this goes to the Malibu City Council for taking the initiative to propose an alternate course to ten years of litigation. The Kissel Company has offered a very good compromise to the residents that incorporates some excellent details: provisions for low-income residents to avoid economic eviction; details concerning timetables for the construction of a new wastewater system; and a seven-year phase-in of the rent increase. When one considers the downside of continued litigation, this is really a wonderful opportunity that the residents have wisely seized.
As a resident of the Cove for ten years, I heard some very negative things about the Kissel Company. When I became President of the Homeowners Association and sat down with Steve Dahlberg of the Kissel Company one-on-one, I found him to be reasonable, open to the concerns of the residents, and eager to reach consensus toward what are essentially common goals with the residents. I also found him to be a man of his word. I have full confidence that the Kissel Company will honor its side of the agreement and that the residents will be seeing some rapid changes in the Cove.
To the residents of Malibu: The days of Paradise Cove appearing in the local newspapers only in terms on litigation and conflict are over. The thorn of Paradise Cove has been removed from the City of Malibu. The City Council and the residents of Malibu can focus their full attention and energy to all of the other challenges facing Malibu.
Like everyone who lives in the Cove, I realize how lucky I am to live in one of the most beautiful spots on the planet. On behalf of the residents of Paradise Cove, I want to sincerely thank the City Council for brokering a realistic compromise ending ten years of conflict. I also want to thank the Kissel Company for offering very generous terms with some excellent guarantees. I look forward to working with the Kissel Company to restoring peace and harmony in Paradise.
Rick Mullen, President
Paradise Cove Homeowners Association
Coastal plan bill sails through Assembly
The California State Assembly overwhelmingly voted, 66-8, in favor of a bill that would help fund an effort to draft a coastal plan for the City of Malibu.
SB55 would reappropriate $100,000 from the California Coastal Commission’s general fund to help pay for the commission’s expenses as it prepares a Local Coastal Plan for the City of Malibu.
Sen. Sheila Kuehl, who represents California’s 23rd Senatorial District, which encompasses Malibu, has been the driving force behind Bill SB55.
According to a senate bill analysis, which is posted on the California legislature’s Web site, the Coastal Commission claimed that it needed to shift $100,000 of already appropriated funds from its local assistance programs so that resources can be brought to bear on finishing the Malibu LCP by the deadline of Sept. 15, 2002.
Although last year Bill AB 988 mandated the commission to take over the LCP process for Malibu, because the city had not completed it in a timely manner, city staff has drafted its own plan.
“The city and the Coastal Commission ostensibly share a goal,” said Christi Hogin, city manager. “This goal is for Malibu to adopt and the commission to certify an LCP for the city.
“The draft enjoys the legitimacy of having been prepared in the manner set forth in the coastal act and by representatives accountable to the voters,” she added.
“It is my hope that the Coastal Commission will use whatever funding it receives from SB55 and various sources to review the city’s draft,” continued Hogin. “It would be unfortunate and counterproductive to our shared goal if the commission were to attempt to draft its own LCP for Malibu.”
Hogin said she is not aware of any other draft LCP created by the commission.
Robin Podolski, press deputy for Sheila Kuehl, said, “There was a legal requirement for the plan and the city had not developed it, therefore the coastal commission has taken on the task.”
SB55 was proposed by Kuehl in an effort to enable the commission to meet the deadline. The Coastal Commission submitted its draft plan on May 1.
According to Podolski, the draft includes a good deal of input from Malibu, but it appears that funds have fallen short to pay for a consultant who would evaluate the viability and feasibility of the plan before it can be implemented.
“Sheila is interested in helping out and making sure that everyone comes out of the process happy,” said Podolski.
A finalized initial draft is expected to be completed by Jan. 15, 2002.
The city’s draft LCP is being circulated among technical experts for final revisions. At this point, the city expects to conduct hearings on it in May.
La Costa beach saga continues
The saga over the fate of an 80-foot piece of rock-strewn beachfront property between La Costa and Carbon Canyon continues as several lawsuits fly about, including one against the California Coastal Commission, which it discussed in closed session this week.
Another lawsuit filed by Jeff Greene, a real estate developer and 14-year Malibu resident, says the sale of the land to Malibu celebrities and billionaires breached his contract to purchase the land from Pepperdine University.
Billionaires Eli Broad, Chaim Saban and Nancy Daly Riordan (wife of mayor Richard Riordan) made a deal with the Coastal Commission’s mandate for 20-foot-wide view corridors on new beach-front construction by jointly buying and then donating an expanse of land to the California Coastal Conservancy for public use. They chose to buy Pepperdine’s La Costa property, although the land had already been promised to Greene through the university’s senior real estate officer, Dennis Torres, alleges Greene.
Once the homeowners surrounding the empty beach caught wind of Daly, Saban and Broad’s offer to donate the land for public access, the neighbors complained that the beach was located on a dangerous curve with inadequate parking.
The La Costa Beach Property Owners Assn. is suing the California Coastal Commission and the California Coastal Conservancy.
Originally donated to Pepperdine by the Adamson Company, the parcel of land was the subject of its first lawsuit six years ago.
The original gift was 50 feet in length. The university purchased adjoining land from the Adamson Company to total about 300 feet. The area was then rezoned into two lots, an 80-foot and 220-foot parcel, and sold a few years ago to George Stanton and Patrick Keegan.
Keegan and Stanton resold a larger portion for a profit. The remaining parcel, the two claimed in a lawsuit against Pepperdine, was ‘unbuildable’ since the high tide line came too close to the Pacific Coast Highway to allow any development. They sued Pepperdine for their money back.
After lawsuit number one was decided in the university’s favor, Pepperdine’s real estate team foreclosed on the property and sold it again to Jeff Greene in 1998 for $800,000.
“My real estate agent at the time asked me if I was interested in buying a beachfront lot in Malibu that had full concept approval from the city,” said Greene. “I said, ‘Fantastic, I would love to buy the lot.’ It meant all I had to do was go to the Coastal Commission to get a development permit, which is not a big deal, typically, if you have all the right City of Malibu approvals.”
A year later, Daly, Broad and Saban encountered problems with development on their lots–the Coastal Commission modified development laws, hence the requirement of 20-foot view corridors between new homes.
They approached Torres, who told them that the La Costa Beach property was available because the contract with Greene expired.
“We had a contract which read that, ‘If the sale hasn’t concluded for any reason whatsoever by March 1, 2000, then the thing is null and void,’ ” said Torres. “I told Jeff that if he doesn’t close it, we’re going to sell it to somebody else and that’s what we did. He didn’t put his money down.”
Greene said: “When the Coastal Commission changed the rules the university went back to the city and started adjusting the plans to comply with the new requirements. They knew that they had to deliver a lot with a set of plans that had approval and concept as they had agreed in our contract. I showed them I had all the cash I need, but I didn’t close on time because they didn’t deliver what they were supposed to deliver.”
Greene is suing Pepperdine for lost profits.
“My understanding is that they will join the two suits into one action of the courts. Until a decision is made, we’re in a ‘wait and see’ mode,” said Mark Beyeler, from the Coastal Conservancy, of the two lawsuits. “The Conservancy is ready to accept the property and we will do what we can to protect the privacy of the adjacent homeowners while providing public access to the beach, for example, by closing the beach at night.”
As for parking, Beyeler said, “There isn’t adequate parking on the streets of Malibu on PCH virtually anywhere, but this does have parking. We’ve communicated with Caltrans and they’re okay with providing parking in front of the lot on the street.”
If the land is not transferred to the state, Daly, Broad and Saban agreed to donate a cash amount equal to the value of the property to the Coastal committees in order to purchase suitable public beach land elsewhere. In that case, they will decide the fate of the small fenced beach.
Keep the noise down
The coming of warm summer days signals to me the invasion of the loud motorcycles in Malibu. I have nothing against motorcycles but many are modified to be so loud it is unbearable to be in my home all weekend. I am sure I am not the only one affected by them. Imagine a single rider who goes on a fifty mile pleasure drive. Think of how many people he affects with his loud noise on that ride. Hundreds of people and families have to endure them passing by. Now multiply that by the hundreds that come here on summer weekends.
The laws on the books now require a sheriff to test for the noise level from over fifty feet away. The legal noise level now is above that which is legally allowed by trucks. There is also a law on the books that say the manufacturer will not be held responsible for building illegal motorcycles above the noise limit set by law.
These laws are written for the motorcycles protection, only. We have endured them long enough. In October all new bills will be considered if they will be put on the slate in February. Now we have a chance to let the law makers hear our voice on this. Please write to them. Ask them to sponsor a bill to lower the legal noise limit and to have a mandatory vehicle test for noise before they can be registered. Fran Pavley, Congress, and Sheila Kuehl, Senate, can change this for us. Please call or write to them.
Jeannette de Langis
Mom is perfection
As a small boy I invaded the nightgown section of a full-size department store in Hollywood searching for my first “real” Mother’s Day present.
I wanted to bestow on my mother a bathrobe as her robe was worn out. I told the sales clerk what I wanted, but I didn’t know what size my mother was. The clerk asked if my mom was short or tall, fat or skinny. “She is just perfect,” I responded. On Mother’s Day, my mom beamed in her new bathrobe, as its extra length swept the floor behind her. So to you, Mom, and to the rest of the women reading this letter, Happy Mother’s Day 2001. Remember, dear Malibuite, that the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.
Tom Fakehany
Second thoughts on how we raised the kids
Not since the heyday of Dr. Spock has a generation talked, read and debated parenting styles as much as this one. Every week or so, we have results of another study that shows: children who go to day care are angrier than those who stay home with Mom. Or children who go to day care are better prepared for school and have better social skills, whatever that means. Take your pick. It’s just psychologists creatively spending their grant money.
Baby boomers, who were raised by the book, rebelled against their parents and pretty much all authority, became flower children. They turned on, tuned out and generally mortified their parents. Then they grew up, threw away their lava lamps, beads and tie-died clothes, and basically rejoined mainstream America. They got jobs, got married, moved to the burbs. Their parents breathed a collective sigh of relief, stopped asking themselves where they went wrong and prepared to become grandparents.
Mother’s Day tends to glorify that journey, the transformation of rebellious teens into decent, responsible adults who shower their mothers with chocolate, flowers and Hallmark cards that prompt tears. They care enough to send the very best, we think.
My three 30 somethings have each produced one child and their parenting styles vary widely, so I have little faith in the old axiom that mothers tend to raise their children the way they were raised. I certainly didn’t. I was spoiled rotten, but was expected to be polite to all adults and not engage in behavior that would disgrace the family. I had a nanny until I was nine.
My son and twin daughters, who certainly weren’t spoiled, have grown up to be moral, responsible, caring adults. Their values are traditional, even conservative. I resist the impulse to pat myself on the back for a job well done. I recognize that there’s as much of their father’s influence as mine, and a whole lot of luck besides.
They are the product of two self-employed parents, who worked long hours, but mostly at home. They never had the dubious benefits of day care. We had a series of au pairs, most of whom were from Latin America and had their own traditions of child care. Our favorite was Hilda, a bright, energetic young woman, who had been a schoolteacher in Bolivia. She had gotten divorced, not a popular option in Bolivia, from what I gathered had been an abusive spouse, and she had been forced to leave her two children with her mother there. She spoke little English, but I think my kids benefited enormously from her loving care. We were all sad when she left, but I was happy that she got visas for her two children to come and live in Santa Monica with Hilda’s brother, sister-in-law and their children. I hope they all honor her on Mother’s Day.
My first grandchild, now a rebellious teen, has not had the benefit of a stable, two-parent home, caring nannies, nor consistent teaching. Still, she is a sweet-natured child, struggling with all the insecurities of adolescence, peer pressure and the need for independence without the means to achieve it. I wish her well.
My almost-7-year-old grandson has survived a dozen injuries and illnesses and has benefited from some day care, which prepared him for school, gave him a measure of discipline, curiosity and the sort of social give-and-take that only children often have trouble with. Though both parents work, they spend lots of time with him.
My other daughter has put her career on hold to be a stay-at-home mom. Her baby daughter, now approaching the terrible twos, is shy and outgoing, sweet and spunky, obedient and independent. I think giving up work to raise this child was a no-brainer.
Are any of my kids raising theirs the way they were raised? Not really. Does this make me think I did it wrong? Well, no, but I could have done better. If I had it to do over, would I work less and spend more time with them? Probably. Am I sweating it that their marriages will thrive, that my grandkids survive the whole messy business of growing up? Of course.
Will I brush away a tear again when I read my Mother’s Day cards on Sunday? Well, sure. That is, if they remember to send them.
Glickfeld appointed as an assistant secretary of Resources Agency
Madelyn Glickfeld, former Coastal Commission chair and Streisand Center Academic director, was appointed assistant secretary of the Resources Agency by California governor Gray Davis on April 26.
Glickfeld, 51, has more than 30 years of experience working on land and habitat protection, and growth policy.
Glickfeld, who has Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees from UCLA, lectures at the UCLA Institute of the Environment, teaching a graduate course on coastal zone management in California.
She will receive a salary of $90,204 in her new position, which will encompass responsibilities such as the setting and coordination of activities of California’s Continuing Resources Investment Strategy program (CCRISP) within the Resources Agency.
Malibu Seen
CRUISE CONTROL
Talk about pulling off a red carpet coup! Rosie O’Donnell surprised everyone at the 14th Annual Kid’s Circus Awards at the Santa Monica Barker Hangar with her special guest — Tom Cruise. Tom’s top gun appearance was kept top secret till the very end. He did his part for the kids after being whisked in by a private plane and taking a limo straight to the hangar. When the show was over, Rosie and her not- so-tall, but very dark and handsome, hi-profile pal high-tailed it off into the night.
PLAY DAY
Jason Alexander, Carl Reiner and Kirk Douglas were among the theater lovers who trekked down to the Mark Taper Forum for a look at Alan Alda’s new play “QED.” The production depicts the life of eccentric Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman with Alda in the starring role, and runs through May 13. Also at the Music Center, the Ahmanson Theater is gearing up for a trio of new one-act musicals called “3hree.” Beau Bridges takes the stage as a ready-for-a-sex-change mid-westerner in “Looking for Normal” at the Geffen. Dame Edna’s Royal Tour is set to open at the Shubert and Gladys Knight will be bringing down the house when “Smokey Joe’s Caf” hits the Wilshire Theater on May 29.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Actress Sally Kellerman served as mistress of ceremonies at this year’s TSA awards dinner honoring David E. Kelly. TV’s mega producer was given high praise for his efforts to help raise awareness in the fight against a neurobiological disorder called Tourette’s syndrome.
“This event is the culmination of a dream that combines our commitment to Tourette’s and our responsibility to our children and everyone afflicted with this life-altering syndrome,” said dinner chair Jeffrey Kramer. Kramer explained that last year’s fundraising efforts, together with a $9 million award from the National Institutes of Health, have brought the organization closer than ever to finding a cure. Kelly was singled out for top honors after incorporating the syndrome into several episodes of his hit TV shows — most recently “Ally McBeal,” which featured Anne Heche as a teacher living with Tourette’s.
HOT STUFF
Disco diva Donna Summer will be taking us back to those sensational ’70s at this year’s Rock & Soul to Erase MS on May 18. The Studio 54 icon joins an all-star line-up, which includes Stevie Wonder, Brian McKnight, Tony Danza, Tom Arnold and Bill Maher. The Race to Erase MS was created by Nancy Davis in 1993 and has become one of the largest and most successful annual events funding research for multiple sclerosis. This year’s festivities are expected to raise a whopping $3 million. And chances are it will be an evening to remember on May 19 when Johnny Mathis takes the stage at this year’s Diamond Anniversary Gala to benefit Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center. The event, which enjoys the generous support of many Malibu docs, is celebrating its 75th year. Happy Birthday!