Concerns on wildlife, ESHA, and noise complaints were raised during the meeting
Concerns about the environmental impacts of the permanent skatepark was addressed during the Environmental Review Board on Oct. 11. Concerns in regards to wildlife, ESHA, and noise complaints were raised; however during the meeting, the design team involved in the project seemed unprepared to answer questions.
The project includes the construction of a new 12,500-square-foot permanent skatepark; a two-stall restroom building, 12 feet in height; additional parking areas; two bioretention basins; benches, picnic tables, and sidewalks; landscaping; a crosswalk across winter mesa drive to connect the skatepark parking area to the rest of Malibu Bluffs Park and 3,022 cubic yards of grading.
In 2019, the City Council approved the use of the Crummer/Case property adjacent to Malibu Bluffs Park as the location for a temporary skate park, and authorized staff to release a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the design of a 12,500-square-foot permanent skate park on the same property.
The City Council approved the Final Conceptual Design for the Temporary Skate Park on Feb. 24, 2020.
The Temporary Skate Park opened on July 3, 2020, while the Permanent Skate Park is being designed and built on the east portion of the property.
The Parks and Recreation Commission approved the Preliminary Design for the Permanent Skate Park at the regular meeting on Nov. 17, 2020, and the amenities at the special meeting on Jan. 21, 2021.
On Jan. 3, the Community Services Department submitted a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) for the proposed Malibu Bluffs Park Permanent Skatepark. There has been no discussion in regards of the process since then.
Senior Planner Tyler Eaton presented the project and said no ESHA is anticipated to be impacted by the proposed development.
Community and skate enthusiasts continue to advocate for the permanent skatepark, as one speaker said she attended the city meetings four years ago to show support for future skaters.
“My name is Layla Polito and I was one of six kids who continued to fight for the Malibu skatepark a few years ago, to be an advocate for our piers who all wanted this to come to fruition,” Polito said. “This has been such an ongoing battle for the kids who started the cause, grew up, and moved on. I really wanted to come on and stay involved in the park, and hear any concerns there still may be. I’m just here representing the kids my friends were four years ago when I started giving speeches at my town council, to the kids that are predecessors, and the little skaters I see skating around the temporary park, which my friends helped make happen. I really hope this is an easy vote for you, but if there are any environmental objections, please, please, consider being a part of what makes it happen. This is a huge part of the town’s legacy and culture.”
The day before the meeting, on Oct. 10, Eaton said staff received a letter from resident Robert Gold regarding concerns over visual impacts, noise, and parking.
Gold spoke during public comment and said he has sent letters to the city in regards to noise. Gold also complained about the noise in a Planning Commission meeting in 2020.
“The skatepark also needs to respect its neighbors, as mandated by the LIP, and to minimize potential impacts consistent with the current EIR,” Gold said. “The proposed skatepark does create a significant impact to this current design.”
California Skateparks Principal Designer Jaxon Statzell responded to the concerns regarding noise and lighting.
“We are taking measures to keep the noise at a reasonable and allowable level within park measures,” Statzell said. “The EIR doesn’t see there being any potential for any noise for beyond what is expected to a skatepark or playground and I think our distance to the neighbors and looking to some of the other measures of the trees, should hopefully help that we’re doing everything that we can and that it’s not going to be an impact as far as noise was concerned.”
Eaton responded to concerns with lighting and said this park will be in compliance with the dark sky ordinance.
“There’s not much lighting purposed, other than the restrooms, and that was kind of a late addition, and there’s just a couple lights there, the purpose of the park is to be used during daytime hours, and the lights for the restrooms are only going to be used for maintenance purposes and will be programmed with a timer, so only be actived when someone is near it,” Eaton said. “So this property, for the most part, will be in compliance with the dark sky ordinance but will be completely dark at night.”
Board members asked questions and raised concerns in regards to habitat landscape, vegetation, water drainage, and fences that could potentially trap wildlife.
“California Wildlife Center gets calls regularly for animals trapped in places, and better to prevent that from happening than to rescue them,” California Wildlife Center Executive Director Jennifer Brent said.
City staff said they had written notes to provide answers, hopefully in the next meeting.
According to the city’s website, the City Planning Department and city agencies are reviewing the proposed plans, and once the project is deemed complete and consistent with the city’s Local Coastal Program, the Planning Commission will hold a public hearing for the CDP application. The city anticipates the Planning Commission hearing will occur sometime this year.
For now, skaters of all ages have been using the Temporary Skate Park, which opened on July 3, 2020, while the Permanent Skate Park is being designed and built on the east portion of the property.
The Temporary Skate Park is open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset. Helmets are required at all times. City staff monitor the skate park during operating hours.
For immediate assistance related to the Skate Park, call (310) 317-1364.
To learn more about the project visit, https://www.malibucity.org/976/Skate-Park.