Malibu High Zoning Plan and EIR Approved on 3-2 Vote, Silverstein Urges ‘Approve As You Go’
Written by 991KBU on July 12, 2022
Malibu High School’s master zoning plan was approved last night by the city council.
It was a 3 to 2 vote … Bruce Silverstein and Steve Uhring voted no.
They argued that it was premature to change the zoning for projects that are five to 10 years down the road.
Bruce Silverstein.
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“I don’t know why we would approve the unfunded … who knows whether they’re going to get done when they’re going to get done … parts of this.
“Why make this decision now?
“Some people are saying ‘we don’t need to address the answers now we can just approve it in the general way’ … where the other side of the coin is we don’t have to approve these things today and then we can look at each of the things that they come up in the future I think that’s a much wiser way to go and that’s what I’m going to be supporting.”
The answer to that lies in the California Environmental Quality Act … CEQA.
It specifically prohibits piecemealing … it allows an EIR to be revisited down the road … but it does not allow a project to be approved knowing that additional phases are contemplated.
Mayor Paul Grisanti explained last night … the various project phases in the future can be made smaller … but not bigger … than what was before the city council last night
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“There is no decision we can make it cannot be unmade by a future city council we can try to tie their hands and feed as much as possible but they are going to be sitting in our seats at some future time … and able to change things.”
The high school started the night with three yes votes … and two no votes.
That was not to be changed bio matter how late into the night the discussion went.
Grisanti repeated that the zoning change is not the same thing as the Coastal Development Permits ….
Those are the actual buildings plans … that will have to be approved by the city.
That did not satisfy Silverstein.
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“It’s grossly irresponsible to get anything more than necessary to build out phase 1… Grossly irresponsible.”
In approving the Malibu High rezoning … the council rejected two requests from what the Planning Commission had requested.
John Mazza had urged that the north end of the campus be sealed off from all pedestrian access at all times.at The school district … however … wants to keep the pedestrian gate Clover Heights … which is locked during school hours … they wanted to keep it so people and horses can access the campus.
Mazza said the recent number ion school shootings should mean that gate be sealed. Not even a fire truck access.
The city council rejected Mazza’s pleas to seal it off forever.
And the Planning Commission made a recommendation that two electric marquee signs be required to face inside the school.
The school district said that would be useless … the signs are needed to convey information to arriving parents.
That was reversed.
The signs will now face Morning View Drive.
Now that the overall rezoning has been approved … the first phase of the reconstruction blueprints will come back to the Planning Commission for approval … next Monday.
