Planning Commission Decision Again Overturned: ‘It’s Painful To Watch’ Commissioners Reject Rebuilds
Written by 991KBU on August 25, 2020
For the second time in a row … the Malibu Planning Commission was overturned by its bosses on the city council on house project.
This time it was a house on Cuthbert … near Busch.
The house burned in the Woolsey Fire … and in order to set it back further from National Park trails … the architect moved it down a hill.
That meant it had to be a little bit higher than the original house.
The Planning Commission said that put it our of character with the surrounding neighborhood … on Cuthbert near Busch.
But neighbors in the area were unanimous in their support of the project.
And the city staff said it needed only minor exceptions from the zoning codes … and there was good reason to okay it.
No one opposed it.
Except a three-person majority on the planning commission.
They turned it down … said it did not meet the commissioners’ definition of fitting the neighborhood character.
Last night … it was a unanimous vote from the city council … that the planning commission blew it.
Councilwoman Karen Farrer.
NEWSCART 74785 FARRER CUTHBERT
“You know we’ve voted deliberately and specifically to try to support fire rebuilds and support our community’s efforts.
“To help them rebuild and then to see this happening…
“Is it’s painful to watch.”
During the meeting … several speakers criticized the Planning Commission for causing undue delay … stress and expense for the people whose house burned down.
Councilman Jefferson Wagner’s planning commission appointee voted against the project …
last night … he said he was in favor of it.
But he defended the commission against those criticisms.
NEWSCART 74787 WAGNER DEFENDS
“They are our appointees.
“They are here to do a job And they do the details that we don’t have time to do.
“So I’m in favor the the project, I’m going to vote in favor of the project, But I ask these people to rememberAttacked that they should take.”
The Planning Commission decision to deny the family permission for its replacement house was overturned by the city council last night on a 4-0 vote.
Councilman Rick Mullen was not on the phone in attendance.
