County Relents, Plans To Reopen Zuma Underpass Once Water Clears

Malibu has won a battle with LA County’s Department of Beaches And Harbors … and the government has reversed its decision and now says they will scrape accumulated rocks off the Zuma Creek underpass roadway.

It may be one week or more before the key road underpass beneath Pacific Coast Highway is opened to traffic. 

The underpass pavement is a repurposed flood control channel … and many Malibu residents are infuriated that it has been blocked with water and flood debris for months at a time.

Late last week … L A County Beaches & Harbors was given permission by four layers of outside government to clear the road.

The emergency permit had to be approved by the the L.A. Regional Water Quality Control Board …  Caltrans … California Fish and Wildlife … and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The county is now coordinating its crews and scientific team … they say they are required to have a biological monitor watch the work because of the presence of ecological habitat.

Warren Ontiveros, the deputy director of Beaches and Harbors … says that the cleanup work will begin next week.

The beaches and harbors official says the work was delayed this spring because water was still flowing in thew creek … and that no work in the underpass is permissible until the creek flow ceases.

Malibu road activist Meril May has been pressing the county hard to get the road open.

Busch Drive Water Tank Trap Door Opened In Winds

Boil Water Order Lifted After 2 Days

County Had To Drain 300,000 Gallon Tank Twice

Tests Show Water Is Safe

Residents of the Malibu Park neighborhood were surprised to see water gushing out of the Busch Drive water tank again Monday, three days after a boil water order shut down the storage tank.

Busch Drive was once again full of water Monday morning… with some of it running all the way down to the flooded Zuma Creek underpass below Pacific Coast Highway.

County waterworks says they were flushing the 300 thousand gallon tank out with superchlorinated water … before putting it back into service on Wednesday.  And KBUU News has learned what the source of the contamination worries in the first place.

The strong winds of last week had blown open an 80-year-old wooden inspection hatch at the top of the tank … exposing the drinking water inside to possible bird poop or insects.

On Friday … the county drained the tank … capacity 300 thousand gallons … and tested the water.

On Saturday  … residents of abut 300 homes were told to boil their drinking water … or use water out of bottles for drinking … until test results could be cultured in a lab.

On Sunday … the biological tests came back… the water that had come from the tank was clean and the boil water order was called off.

And on Monday … the county emptied the tank of the super chlorinated water that had been used to sanitize it.

By Wednesday … the 300 thousand gallon water tank will be back in use. 

ABout 300 houses in the Malibu Park area are served by this tank.  Both Malibu Middle and Malibu High schools also. 

About 200 of those houses burned in 2018’s Woolsey Fire. 

The 80 year old tank was scheduled to be replaced 20 years ago.

But objections from some Malibu residents … over tis size and setbacks from Bisch Drive … delayed that over and over again at the Malibu Planning Commission.

Was objection from the planning commission was the the first design included a bathroom for county employees … who work there.

The Planning Department finally issued its approval two years ago … 18 years after the county identified the need top replace the decrepit tank. 

Water From 2 Tank Drainings Flowed Down Canyon Into Zuma Morass

It appears that the 300 thousand gallon tank was emptied twice into the street. 

And where did that water go?

KBUU News followed the water down the hill.  

About half the wasted water ran into the arroyo next to the Malibu Equestrian Center.

The other half ran all the way down into Zuma Creek.

And thus .. a large portion of the water flowed into the Zuma Creek underpass…

Where a different branch of LA County … beaches and harbors … plans to diver the creek water out of the roadway … possibly as early as next week.

One delay after another there… the county beaches people have been waiting for the creek water to dry up … so they will not be diverting awn active waterway.

Most of the water in the creek is … creek water. 

But a lot of it is from the tank.

So Why Is Malibu’s Largest Neighborhood Relying On An 80-Year-Old Tank?

So why is an 80 year old leaking water tank .. scheduled for replacement 20 years ago … still causing problems in Malibu’s largest neighborhood???

The concrete tank was built in 1947.

In the year 2000, the county noted visible cracking, rust stains, and crystalized crud on the outside of the tank. 

That inspection report documented several cracks and poor concrete quality … and warned that the tank could collapse in an earthquake. 

In 2005 … that’s 21 years ago .. the county began asking the City of Malibu for permission to replace it.

But complaints from some neighbors and the Malibu Planning Commission forced costly redesigns and delay after delay.

The complaints were that the proposed tank was too big, too close to Busch Drive, and included a restroom for water district employees.

At one time, Malibu planning commissioners said county employees could drive to Zuma Beach and use the bathrooms there, and rejected the permit.

There were also objections that a federally-required security fence, 8 feet tall, would have violated Malibu’s six foot fence height limit. 

After delays and redesigns and back and forth with the city… the project permits were finally approved by the Planning Commission after nearly 18 years, in 2023. 

Construction or a replacement tank is supposed to begin soon.

Zone Zero Workshop Scheduled For April 23 In Calabasas

Zone Zero is the controversial state law that requires homeowners in very high fire risk areas to remove all shrubs and plans from within 5 feet of their homes.

The law is already in effect … but there has been an uproar over its requirements to butcher existing landscaping … in the opinion of many.

But fire experts say eliminating sources of ignition right up against houses is really … really important.

The California Board of Forestry has put off implementing Zone Zero.

The state’s Regulatory Advisory Committee has scheduled a meeting in two weeks to listen to the public .. and share updates on its work.

They call it advancing wildfire resilience … but opponents call it sacrificing bird habitat … killing natural cooling … and counterproductive. across California. 

The latest Zone Zero proposals will be coming out this month …

The meeting will be Thursday the 23rd of April … from 1 to 7 …at the Calabasas Community Center.

Council To Consider Pricey New Streaming Cameras And Sound Systems in 2 Rooms

Crappy acoustics … a terrible sound system … and the inability to stream smaller meetings.

Three major problems at Malibu City Hall on one side.

On the other side … the city is really watching its pennies … as its discretionary spending accounts are drained.

That’s the dilemma facing the city council next Monday … when it considers spending 272 thousand dollars to on revamped audio visual and streaming systems at City Hall. 

The existing systems are 12 years old … parts are no longer available … technology has moved a long way.

Right now … most city meetings are broadcast using a camera and fixed mic in a corner. 

The city went out for bids … got six submissions … and staff says the city council should approve one of them … for 272 thousand dollars. 

That will put in new cameras and sound systems in the council chambers and the Senior Center.

City May Add Computer Watchdogs For Short-Term Rental Cheaters

Short term rentals in Malibu might soon be get tracked with a commuter software package that would give city inspectors enhanced City’s regulatory and enforcement capabilities. 

The city council next week will consider amending its contract with the company that currently keeps an eye on short term rentals … often called B and Bs. 

The city council might spring for a Rental Activity Audit feature, which monitors STR listings, including historical revenue estimates and occupancy trends. 

Night-Cap Monitoring would will enable staff to track estimated booking activity and identify listings that may exceed locally adopted night limits … supported by reporting and alert features. 

And a B and B tax revenue tracker would give city staff a tool to see if rental tax revenues are keeping up with actual rentals. 

And the software package has an option to cross-check short term rental listings with city zoning maps and permits.

Rain, Maybe Lots of Rain, May Hit Malibu Fri And Sun

Two winter storms are headed toward Malibu … one for Friday … one Sunday.

Between the two of them … more than a half inch of rain.

But we could get a lot more than that … if the second storm packs a thunderstorm within it. 

Spotty rainstorms with these two fronts.

Rain is expected by Friday.

A second … colder … and even stronger system moves in Sunday night into Monday morning.

It won’t be raining everywhere all weekend. 

In fact ,… it looks like the National Weather Service is calling for lengthy periods of  sunshine, then quick escalation to brief heavy rain and possible thunderstorms. 

There is a lot of energy in this second storm … with periods of very heavy rain possible.

That’s Sunday. 

Exact timing and rain amounts are still too far away to nail down.