Sonya Singh
Staff Writer
After nearly a four hour meeting Monday night and almost 10 years of uncertainty, the Malibu City Council failed to reach a decision regarding the proposal to build the La Paz office and shopping complex in the Malibu Civic Center area. Controversy about wastewater management, as well as environmental and traffic-related fears, resurrected the interminable debate over development in Malibu.
The proposal, submitted by Chicago-based Malibu La Paz Ranch, LLC, is for a mixed-used retail, business and restaurant complex in the Malibu Civic Center area, the 15-acre property located on Civic Center Way between Papa Jack’s State Park and the Malibu Library. There are two versions of the project: a 99,000 square foot plan and 132,000 square foot plan. In exchange for the larger plan, the developer will give $500,000 to construct a 20,000 square foot city hall building.
Although the developer presented the project to the city nearly a decade ago, complications, such as wastewater management, environmental concerns, traffic and the well being of families who reside at the conjunction of residential and commercial land, have been serious roadblocks.
According to the Public Works Department, the primary concern is the fear that there is not a large enough water supply in the area to handle a fire. And, because the water main has broken several times, county officials fear that it is too unreliable for the construction of La Paz.
However, Chief Walter Shirk of the Santa Monica Fire Department, who has been a Malibu resident for nearly 40 years, said he “wholeheartedly supports the project” and agreed with the developer that La Paz’s fire safety will be more than adequate.
“I do feel that the fire protection systems are excellent; they go well above what is required,” Shirk said. “[Not only could La Paz] be an anchor point for community activities, but it could be a fine gathering spot for our youth and some of the senior citizens.”
To appease fire safety concerns, Don Schmitz, the planning consultant representing La Paz, has agreed to pay more than $800,000 toward the construction of an 800,000-gallon tank and thousands of feet in repairs and improvements to the water main, a water supply system that will cost $4.5 million.
Staunchly opposed to La Paz are Malibu’s environmentalists, including the Santa Monica Baykeeper and Surfrider Foundation.
“We have specific concerns about permitting new development in the civic center area,” said Mark Abramson, director of Watershed Programs at the Santa Monica Baykeeper. “They need to fix the significant water quality problems that they have at the civic center area that are … [causing] septic, wastewater issues that are causing pollution in the creek.”
Although Abramson opposes the project passed, he also sees La Paz as an opportunity for the city to take action against the pollution, noting more than 74 water quality violations at Surfrider Beach since April 1. “We think the city finally has a chance to actually do something and fix this problem [through its talks] of putting in a wastewater treatment plant in the civic center area — they’ve been talking about fixing the water forever, it seems,” Abramson said. “It’s ridiculous that we’re still talking about [the pollution at Surfrider], and I’m not going to permit new development before they have a fix for their existing problems.”
Marilee Sweeney, member of the Executive Committee for the environmental non-profit Surfrider Foundation, agrees and said it is the city’s responsibility to protect citizens from the dangers of pollution.
“We believe that the groundwater at Surfrider Beach is making people sick,” Sweeny said. “Until the city creates a comprehensive solution for wastewater and storm water treatment, we as beach users will continue to have to pay high costs for doctor visits, [ranging from] eye infections to upper respiratory infections and intestinal viruses.”
She said that with only two main roads in the area — Malibu Canyon Road and Pacific Coast Highway —the traffic situation surrounding La Paz also needs to be addressed, especially because Schmitz stated there will include approximately 600 parking spaces at La Paz.
Residents raised concerns that La Paz could bring as many as a thousand people to Malibu, a nearly 10 percent jump to Malibu’s population of 13,000. Without a plan to handle this influx in visitors, they warned that gridlock could ensue.
“You’ve got Malibu Canyon and PCH — put enough people on those roads, and eventually you’ll stop everything,” resident Steve Uhring said. “And that’s what the risk is, unless somebody plans this out.”
Evacuation during an emergency, such as the Malibu wildfires, is also a concern.
However, according to Schmitz, La Paz will reduce traffic in Malibu.
“In regards to traffic, we are going to spend three quarters of a million dollars … to improve [it],” Schmitz said of the plans, which will include the addition of various turn lanes and traffic lights. “We’re going to be the first people in many, many, many years to make improvements in the traffic flow around the civic center and the city of Malibu.”
Schmitz argued that because Malibu lacks a major retail scene, La Paz will be a boost to the city’s economy and iconic shops, which are suffering from lack of commercial growth.
“It’s basic economics ¬— the law of supply and demand,” Schmitz said. “The reason we’re losing our ‘mom and pop shops’ is because we do not have enough retail in our community.”
And what’s more, Malibu residents are forced to go to the mall in Santa Monica, for example, in order to reach a major shopping center, according to real estate developer and longtime resident of Malibu, Rick Margolis.
“The way of life [in Malibu] has changed from being a place where we can live, shop and stay as a self-contained community,” Margolis said. “The way of life now is schlepping your kids in the car and going over the hill to get the services and products that we no longer have.”
Pepperdine students understand the dilemma.
“As a student without a car, it would be nice to have shopping closer, and it may increase traffic, but obviously this is a good area to develop,” said freshman Danielle DeMaria, who is also sensitive to the environmental aspect. “But this area is going to develop over time anyways…So, as a student, I’m thinking this could be a good thing.”
Some faculty members said La Paz would boon for the Pepperdine students who often have to travel far to shop or hang out.
“I know Pepperdine would be willing to help by making our shuttle go there to drop students off,” said Mark Davis, professor and dean of students at Pepperdine. “It would be easy to make that a part of the route.”
Malibu Mayor Pamela Ulich also hopes La Paz will be a destination for Pepperdine students and faculty.
“Like Malibu Yogurt is a great place for people to congregate, [La Paz] will be a great place to go off campus besides the beach,” Ulich said.
According to Stephanie Edmonson, principal planner for the City of Malibu, there are many issues outstanding issues relating wastewater. Council members are currently evaluating whether they can use the space they were going to use for a city hall instead as a wastewater treatment facility.
The council will reconvene to discuss this issue on Nov. 10.
09-25-2008
