Caltrans Has New Estimated Size Of Topanga Landslide: 90,000 Cubic Yards (7,500 Truckloads)

A new estimate from Caltrans:

The landslide on Topanga Canyon Boulevard is now estimated at 90,000 cubic yards.

That is 75 hundred dump truck loads.

And the state does not have any p[lace identified yet to receive 75 hundred dump trucks full of rocks.

Caltrans officials say the Topanga Canyon landslide is being mapped by their  Geotechnical Services team.

And their Geotechnical Report will take up to 2 weeks to complete.

The highway department says this map be used to refine the quantities and calculations into the model for our geotechnical report.

The state now says the instability of the slope means up to 6 thousand truck loads of rocks must be removed from the top down.

Removing the “toe” of the slope would bring down the unstable earth and large boulders … as water is still percolating under the surface.

A 5-foot-tall berm has been built to protect Topanga Creek.

Meanwhile … Caltrans has made no new announcement about the landslide that infuriates many Malibu drivers…. the one blocking one lane of westbound PCH.

 

Triathlon Organizers Confirm No Triathlon At Zuma This Year, But Ask City To Kill It

Race organizers confirm … there will be no triathlon at Zuma Beach this fall … In a statement posted on their website … the nonprofit foundation set up by Michael Epstein says it cannot safely run the race this fall.

The Zuma Beach Foundation is asking ther city to postpone the triathlon … cancel it for this year.

It is not clear why the city is being asked to cancel the triathlon … as the city is not running it.

Zuma Beach organizers say “the ongoing construction and repair issues on Pacific Coast Highway, including the delayed completion of the Trancas Bridge project, among others, have led us to reschedule due to safety concerns .”

The other major problem is the flooded Zuma Creek underpass.

That makes it impossible for triathletes to cross the highway without blocking traffic.

Caltrans contractors had nearly finished digging out flood debris last fall … when early rain storms caused Zuma Creek to again cover the concrete with water sand and gravel.

Caltrans has yet to decide whether to dig the underpass out for summer beach traffic … to the triathlon this fall.

The city council last year gave the Zuma Beach Foundation the franchise for a September triathlon … and took that slot away from the competing Super League Triathlon.

Super League showed up last week … to say they would like back in … next year.

And they said they would run the entire event inside the Zuma Beach parking lot.

It’s not clear why the Zuma Beach triathlon is asking the city to cancel the event …as that would be a decision for the race organizers to make.

 

Illegal Parking Angers Many On Pt Dume, But City Still Looking For Place To Park Towed Cars

Point Dume residents… at least many of them… are unhappy with the number of illegally parked cars at the tip of the point.

Dozens of parked cars were spotted over the weekend… Illegally parked and blocking a traffic lane.

It’s nothing new… but it is apparently getting worse.

On Wednesday… the Malibu Public Safety Commission will again open the topic of trying to find a place to impound illegally parked cars … that get towed away.

A parking lot at Malibu High School can be used during summer weeks… and the city is in the process of renting the high school lot again for this summer.

But during the school year… there is no agreement to use that parking lot as an impound yard… even though the parking lots at the high school are not used on weekends.

The city’s staff wants members of the volunteer Public Safety Commission to scout around … again .. and come up with a recommendation for a year round place where cars can be impounded.

Two years ago .. a proposal to park the impounded cars at a city-owned vacant lot near PCH at Heathercliff Road was bitterly opposed.

That opposition came from a different group of Point Dume residents… who called the impound yard the beginning of the end for the exclusive nature of the point.

The impound yard operated with minimal impact … except from a few residents who just hated it.

 

MHS Hopes To Teach Kids, To Not Drive Like Some Of Their Elders

Malibu High School kids will get a weeklong review on how to stay “Safe On PCH” this week.

Local cops and city leaders hope to convince teen drivers about the danger … the particular danger … of our local main street.

Today … there’s a lunchtime fair with resources and information from the the sheriff’;s office … the CHP … and the city and county.

Tomorrow … the Sheriff’s Department will host the IMPACT Teen Drivers’ parent program called Under Your Influence.

Parents and teens will be shown evidence-based strategies to help keep teens, their families, and everyone they share the road with safe.

This is a special presentation for parents from 9 to 10:30 tomorrow morning at Malibu High School’s Parent Center.

On Wednesday, Malibu High School will be hosting the “21 Miles in Malibu” film by Michel Shane.

Following the film screening, there will be a panel discussion moderated by supervisors Chair Lindsey Horvath.

This is taking place in the Malibu auditorium with an expected attendance of over 200 people.

The Wednesday event requires a separate RSVP. RSVP here.

On Thursday, two assemblies will be coordinated by Malibu High School and the Malibu Middle Schoil. CHP.

The assembly will include age appropriate information.

The high school program is called “What Do You Consider Lethal” …

It engages, educates, and empowers students with evidence-based strategies that help them prevent car crashes, particularly those caused by reckless and distracted driving.

 

Last 4 SM Hotels Reach Contract With Workers, Housekeepers To Be Paid $35/Hour

In news from down the coast .. the bitter contract negotiations and ticket lines at major hotels in Santa Monica are over.

A contract agreement has been reached between the last four Santa Monica hotels and Unite Local 11.

Union officials say the hotel contracts will provide “life-changing” wages for workers

The Viceroy, Le Meridien Delfina, Courtyard and Hampton Inn are among the 46 hotels that have signed union contracts.

Housekeepers will now make $35 per hour … that’s $73,000 per year.

The Santa Monica Lookout newspaper did the reporting on this story.

 

Detectives Release Few Details On Westlake Village-Adjacent Murder (Not In Malibu)

Homicide detectives in Los Angeles have released very few details bout the murder of a man found north of Mulholland Highway near Westlake Village last week.

No name … age  … or other details have been released about the victim, five days after his body was discovered.

He was found … with gunshots in his chest … apparently where he was shot.

This was in a vacant lot next to a pickup truck in the 800 block of Westlake Boulevard.

That’s a very isolated canyon road …  about a mile south of the Ventura County line … 3 miles south of Westlake Boulevard… and 10 miles north of PCH.

Technically … it’s in the Malibu zip code … so LA County homicide detectives have the case.