Dear Malibu Parents, Staff, Students and Community Members,
Thank you for your continued support of the Malibu Campus Plan and our efforts to get the new high school project underway. Your participation, letters, emails, and public comments at the Coastal Commission meeting held on July 12, 2023 were very helpful. We very much appreciate your efforts and outreach! We were told that more than 150 letters and emails came in and we appreciate the nearly 25 adults and students who made a public comment in-person or virtually.
Your voice helped move this item off the consent calendar to the regular agenda for discussion by the commission. That was critical toward garnering a higher level of attention and impact. These efforts clearly had a positive impact with the commissioners, emphasizing the critical juncture we face and furthered their understanding of the needs of Malibu and its students. However, we still have work to do. The Commission granted staff’s request for a one-year extension.
The Coastal Commission Chair expressed empathy for the District and the citizens of Malibu, particularly its students, and committed that Coastal staff would work to bring this matter back for approval this fall. We believe that the California Coastal Commission, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, and the City of Malibu are all committed to expediting the entitlement process so Malibu High School can begin construction as soon as possible. The District has already entered into the contract for construction and the contractor remains ready to begin the work as soon as the project receives its Coastal Development Permit. The Coastal Commission indicated that its staff was prepared to work directly with both the City and the District to this end.
Leaders from both the District and the City have spoken since the meeting, and are charting a path forward. We will continue our close working relationship with the City of Malibu to ensure that all requirements are met so the commission may review and approve the Local Coastal Program (LCP) amendment as early as possible. We anticipate that the City will do everything necessary to help us meet this goal to get this project underway and we know that you will encourage City leaders to keep moving in this direction. I will continue to monitor this situation, provide updates, and let you know when we need support again from the Malibu community.
At the invitation of the Coastal Commission chair, I will be reaching out to her directly to discuss the current status and what needs to be accomplished by the City and school district to move this important project forward as quickly as possible.
Thank you again for your ongoing support!
Sincerely,
Dr. Antonio Shelton
Superintendent