MRCA Wants To Bypass Malibu Control Over Parks

M R C A director Joe Edmiston tried last night to give himself permission to rewrite land use law in Malibu.

Meeting in Oxnard yesterday … the chairman of the Mountains Resource Conservation Authority attempted to make an end run around the local elected government.

The issue at hand yesterday was the city’s L C P … the Local Coastal Program … and its coastal access map.

The city and the California Coastal Commission have been working for 7 years to update the 20-year-old map.

And two changes were made to the coastal access map for Malibu.

A new public beach that the M R C A has acquired from Caltrans … at Big Rock … was added.

And a clarification was made … showing a decision to allow the public to use Sea Level Drive to Lechusa Beach … access that was negotiated back in 1991.

No disputes there.

But Edmiston stood before the commissioners at their monthly meeting … and asked for the power to rewrite local land use plans … by simply buying property .

Edmiston is chafing at the state law … that gives the Malibu City Council veto power over building parks in residential-zoned neighborhoods.

Not beach access … but in the rest of Malibu.

Edmiston complained about the L C P’s current language … and how it is blocking him in Escondido Canyon.

NEWSCART 75098 EDMISTON  QQQ NOT APPEALABLE TO THIS BODY.

“You can have tens …  in some cases … tens of millions of dollars of state bond money buying a piece of property engaged going to a public agency, and the city of Malibu sayings, uh uh  no no no no we don’t care.

“Because it’s still zoned residential, I mean get that, because it’s still zoned residential, you have to come before us to get a C U P (Coastal Use Permit).

“‘Mr. Edison why are you concerned about that?’

“Because a C-U-P is not a payable to this body because a C-U-P is not appealable to this body.

“Let me reiterate that.

“A C-U-P is not appealable to this body.”

In Escondido Canyon … also known as Sycamore Park … Edmiston’s M R C A has bought a vacant lot way up the canyon.

And he is seeking to convert a series of private driveways into a public hiking trail to get to Escondido Falls.

Yesterday at the commission … Edmiston misrepresented that as … a simple dispute over a garbage can and a picnic table.

Of course … Sycamore park or M R C A land conversion policies were not on the agenda.

And no one from Malibu knew this was coming.

That didn’t stop Commission Chairman Dayna Bochco from proposing a major revision to the Malibu L C P … without notice and without Malibu representation.

NEWSCART 75099 BOCHCO  QQQ OH LET’S DO THAT.

BOCHCO: “You’re saying to put a condition in the L-C-P that they come back every five years?
COASTAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JACK AINSWORTH: “Yes, a suggested modification for a new policy that would require the city to come in and modifty the access plan, require the city to come in and update the access plan every five years?? “

BOCHCO: “So, could we put it in here??“

AINSWORTH: “Yes we could, madam Chairwoman.”

BOCHCO [SURPRISED]: “Well then, let’s do that.”

And that’s exactly what they did.

Those were the voices of Coastal Commission chairwoman Dayna Bochco and executive director Jack Ainsworth.

That plan passed by a unanimous vote.

Edmiston had asked for permission to strip the Malibu city council of its power to set terms and conditions for his outside … unelected agency … to come in to Malibu and put parks in the middle of private property.

In the end … the commission staff says it will look to changing the L C P … something that the city council will have to weigh in on.

Earlier in the afternoon … the commission approved changes suggested by the City of Malibu to bring affordable housing zoning to Malibu … at two specific locations.

This was not controversial … it has already been approved by the Malibu City Council.

The vacant lot on P C H near the Christian Scientist Church at paradise Cove.

And a 2 acre parcel tucked behind the Malibu Library … north of the proposed La Paz center.

Coastal commission member Robert Uranga was the only one to speak.

NEWSCART 77100 URANGA QQQ MALIBU FOR DOING THIS

“I’ m really glad that the City of Malibu is doing this.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to provide some affordable housing in that area.

“It’s something that you normally don’t see in that area, so thank you for the City of Malibu for doing this.”

The affordable housing would have to be up to 80 percent of multifamily housing to be built … if the landowner chooses to do so … at those two locations.

The lot near Paradise Cove has condominiums on two sides of it … and the mobile home park to its south.

The lot near the library is a part of the large commercial development planned for next to the new Whole Foods shopping center.