Pt Dume Parking Lot Gate Tussle With Coastal To Be Aired
Written by 991KBU on November 1, 2019
Plans for the gate to close the parking lot at the Point Dume State Nature Preserve at night have been going back and forth between the city of Malibu and the Coastal Commission for years.
Actually … the battle over parking at Point Dume goes back 25 years.
Residents want to install a parking lot gate to keep late night shenanigans to a minimum.
The gate would only block cars … it would only be closed and locked at night.
Coastal staff has come up with objections that neighbors say are … frankly … ridiculous.
For example … the state has sent a letter saying they believe the parking gate … and traffic spikes … constitute physical barriers that may deter the public from using recreation trails.
They fret that the parking gate … which would be open all day … creates the perception that the parking area is private property.
Of course … every state park in Malibu has parking gates.
And the city promises to add signs clarifying the parking is available to the public and the hours of operation.
The parking gate will not impede use of the park by pedestrians at any time, and will only serve to deter unauthorized vehicular use of the parking area after Nature Preserve hours have ended.
To prevent beer busts.
And the state somehow has resurrected the deal made nearly 20 years ago … where Malibu promised to run a shuttle bus from the state beach parkign lot up to the nature preserve.
Virtually no one used that bus … it was widely laughed at as the ghost shuttle.
And the agreement to run it expired after 10 years …
The proposed parking lot gate goes up to the planning commission next Monday night.
