Developer Advocate’s Return Address Is On Anonymous Group’s Letters
Written by 991KBU on June 18, 2019
Local developers appear to be behind the anonymous letters arriving in Malibu mailboxes … claiming that their homes will be diminished in value by a proposed anti-mansionization ordinance.
The letters … and internet advertising … are from a group that calls itself “Together for Dwelling Size Fairness.”
They purport that each home in Malibu will lose cash value … because of a city move to ban mansionization.
That;s the practice of tearing down older homes … and building new gargantuan structures right up to the property lines … and right up to the legal size limit.
The city council has asked planners to come up with a proposed ordinance to prohibit monster houses …. if they are dramatically bigger than their neighbors.
The three city council members who won in the last election all campaigned on an anti mansionization platform.
At last night’s planning commission meeting … the anonymous anti-ordinance letters were endorsed by local Realtor … Paul Grisanti.
NEWSCART 75179 GRISANTI
“I wanted to tell you how much I am looking forward to being here in two weeks, on July the First, to see the committees response to the TDSF mailers that we’ve all been getting that show us what that ordinance (is) that you’ll be considering at that time.”
The anonymous advertising campaign ad mailers were blasted by planning commission chair Steve Uhring.
He said he’s been getting lots of phone calls.
NEWSCART 75175 UHRING CONCERN
“The calls I got say who are these people?’
“Because it starts off saying there’s a growing group of your neighbors concerned. Now I talk to my neighbors a lot, no one’s walked up to me and said they’re concerned.”
One clue as to who may be behind the adveritsing campaign may be in the return address.
Again … Steve Uhring.
NEWSCART 75176 UHRING SCHMITZ
“If you look at the address on the bottom of the letter, that’s the address of Don Schmitz’s office.
So I say, ‘gee, why wouldn’t Don put his name on the letter?
“ ‘And, why wouldn’t he identify the rest of the people?”
Don Schmitz is a familiar face at Planning Commission meetings … he represents builders and developers.
Schmitz was at last night’s Planning Commission meeting but did not publicly addresss the issue during t this is the daily news okay visit what come on anyway won be’s so far no public comment period.
The mansionization issue … also called community character … comes up in two weeks … on July First at the Planning Commission … then goes to the city council later this summer.
