KBUU’s Top Stories From The Morning Newscasts, Mon Tue and Wed:

Council Wants To Install Grass Fields At Chili Cookoff Site, But Then Maybe Build Something There Later

Malibu’s city council voted Monday night to build a temporary soccer field on the vacant lot … the Chili Cook Off site … at the heart of the Civic Center.

But that would be temporary.   After that … all bets are off.

The city council last night went through the laundry lists of parks needs .. and parks possibilities for the 5 pieces of private land that it owns … most of them clustered around the civic center. 

Then thing that they could agree on … build a temporary sports field at the old chili cook off site … also called the Ioki site. 

But … emphasis on the word temporary. 

Councilman Bruce Silverstein presente4d an idea he says has been circulating for two years.

A proposal from a developer for a complicated and swap.

This developer owns the vacant lot just east of city hall …

He wants to build a resort hotel.

But the developer wants to engineer some sort of land swap … where he would give the city the flat commercially zoned properties south of city hall  .… to the city. 

Bruce Silverstein:

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“All of this is very very nascent. I think they may have plans, but I haven’t seen them. 

“But before we decide whether to start building on any of these properties or do anything permanent … I think we should explore whether this is something we have an appetite for that.

“I just put that out in the water. I haven’t talked to anyone about it.

“But to me, it is very attractive to lock up the Smith property and lock up the Bell Property to prevent them from commercial development. 

“They would become the city’s property and we could decide what to do with them.”

The Bell Property is the concrete-covered field south of City Hall.   The Smith Property is the vacant land above the Ioki Site … just east of there City Hall parking lot. 

Apparently… The developer has some sort of grand plan to build a resort east of City Hall… And use the flat lots south of City Hall as an athletic complex… Badly needed sports fields.

Silverstein also proposed moving the Malibu City Hall down to the old courthouse … owned by LA County … abandoned for 15 years.

Silverstein said the current city hall is not … well … it’s not enough to meet his vision of civic power and appearance. 

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“This to me [POINTING AT COUNCIL CHAMBERS] is not what a City Hall for the City of Malibu should look like. To me this is an office building.

“That courthouse is, to me, what a City Hall should look like. And it’s there, and it’s not being used, and I would love to pursue that.

“I don’t want to see us committing to building anything before we look at things that we already have.”

It should be noted that Silverstein’s house sits directly up the hill … overlooking the current City Hall.

It should also be noted that Silverstein’s house was damaged by the fire, and he has said he does not expect to move back into it.

As for the courthouse, it is owned by the county of Los Angeles, but control of it was seized by the state of California Supreme Court when it took over operation of all county courthouse facilities in the state during a budget crunch more than 20 years ago.

All across California, communities have been trying to get control of their courthouses back. The City of Los Angeles was able to take ownership of the West Los Angeles courthouse, but only after years and years of negotiations and arguing with the state court system.

No comments came from the other three city council members in attendance Monday night.

Uhring Resurrects Argument Against New Malibu High Performing Arts Classroom, Even As Construction Is Weeks Away

One city councilman Monday night called for the Malibu High School replacement auditorium project to be stopped … a mere months before the old auditorium is replaced.

City councilmember Steve Uhring Monday night criticized plans to tear down the 65 year old building … which was a lunchroom before it was converted into an auditorium.

The facility is outmoded … and the school district is well underway in the voter-approved project to tear it down… and replace it with a new performing arts center.

Voters approved the tear-down as part of the the 395 million dollar Malibu bond issue approved by voters three years ago.

Architects are already well into the design of the new high school performing arts center …which is funded and on track to open in two years.

At last night’s city council meeting … Uhring said whoa. 

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“We’re spending $600 million on this high school, and the residents are paying for that.

“And it seems to me there should be some way to get some utility out of that thing, that the residents could take advantage of.

“So I’d like to see them spend a little more time figuring out how to do that.

“One of the recommendations that I got is that there is an auditorium there. 

“It needs to be refurbished OK,

“But what I am hearing is that refurbishing that is cheaper than building a new one.

“It could be a lot quicker and … and there’s parking there … so that is something to think about.”

Uhring has been complaining about the school community for years … a school community effort that got more than a 62 percent yes vote from Malibu residents in the 2022 bond election. 

A new performing arts center at Malibu High School’s campus on Morning View Drive was promised in that election. 

Demolition on the old auditorium is coming next fall. It has become an eyesore, slanted on both sides by the new modern middle school campus and high school classroom structure.

And school officials are already spending tax money designing the promised new performing arts center, slated for construction in about 2 years.

Visitor Center For Tourists Who Cannot Use The Internet Is Dropped

Another proposal went down in flames at the Monday night meeting … the idea of a visitor center and parking lot on the triangle lot … the small vacant lot at the corner of PCH and Webb Way. 

Council member Marianne Riggins has been pressing for an information center to let people arriving in Malibu know … that there are other places to hike than to the overcrowded Ramirez Canyon waterfalls. 

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“I think it’s imperative that we start moving on this. We’ve got a lot of visitors are going to be coming for the World Cup and the Olympics.

“And if we don’t get started right now it’s not going to get done in time for either of those events.

“And we’re really talking about a parking lot and a small building and I have faith in our staff that they can accomplish that endeavor.”

BRUCE SILVERSTEIN: “And what is this going to do for the additional people who are going to come because of the World Cup?”

RIGGINS: “Well, we are going to be at least providing a little bit more parking and information so that they can learn about Malibu.”

Some city Council members liked the idea of using a portable classroom building being discarded at Malibu high school as a visitor center in the heart of the city.

But that idea went down on a 2 to 2 vote … with Steve Uhring and Bruce Silverstein opposed and Riggins and Haylynn Conrad in favor of at least studying it … and Doug Stewart absent. 

Hashers Cut The Line At Unfinished Skateboard Ramps

Malibu’s new skateboard park is nearly finished … but you know how skateboarders are. 

Even as construction continues … some of the bowls and ramps are substantially finished … and kids and adults are already using them.

The project is months overdue … due to the storm and other excuses. 

Malibu mayor Marianne Riggins Monday night:

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“It’s not quite ready I promise the city will have an official opening of it and allow people and in the meantime I just request let the city get the work done.

“Let the contractor get the work done before people are going in there.”

The construction project was supposed to be finished by last month … 

But the torrential rains of last fall created muddy lagoons where the skateboard ramps bowls had been dug out.

Still no estimate when the skateboard park will be formally opened. 

Malibu Homeless Census Shows Population Bottomed Out

The number of homeless persons on the streets of Malibu has bottomed out.

Tis winter’s count was conducted last week.

42 people were counted as sleeping in public. 

Last year … 46.

But in the years before that …. back 5 years ago … there were dozens more.

Three years go … there were 72 homeless persons in Malibu.

Actor Gets Classic Caddy Returned Before He Knew It Was Stolen

Some genius last month drove a classic 1979 Cadillac through the 25 mile per hour Malibu fire construction area … at 58 miles per hour.

Dumb idea. 

Sheriff’s Sgt Chris Soderlund says it was stopped in there increased enforcement zone.

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“The deputies had their partners go to the resident owner’s address, which happened to be (actor) Jerry O’Connell… 

“And he had no idea that his car had been stolen. 

“And so they arrested that suspect for taking a vehicle without owners consent..”

The genius also had a purloined credit card on him … that’s another felony. 

The car was registered to the O’Connell family and learned it was stolen from his Calabasas home in the west San Fernando Valley. O’Connell, who is married to “X-Men” trilogy actor Rebecca Romijn, and his family were out of town and were not aware the car had been stolen, the sheriff’s department said.