Horvath Rushes Funding To Malibu To Build PCH Traffic Circles At El Matador Beach And Encinal Canyon Rd

Two temporary traffic circles will be placed on PCH in Western Malibu … a quick move to slow traffic.

One will be at PCH at El Matador State Beach, and the other further west at PCH at Encinal Canyon Road. 

The state will use barricades … stripes and signs to create roundabouts to slow traffic in what are now long straightaways with 55 mile per hour speed limits …. places where cars are frequently driven above 65 miles an hour.

Assistant city manager Alexis Brown says they will be temporary … test installations. 

70785 ROUNDABOUTS 

“The proposed solution … (is) expected to reduce crashes at 39 percent and severe injuries and fatalities.  90 percent improved pedestrian safety and manage traffic speeds.  At Encinal, enhance the traffic safety at a critical intersection per the 2015 recommendation.” 

That would be the PCH Traffic Safety Study of 2015 .. which pretty much sat on a shelf until the public uproar caused by the deaths of four Pepperdine students a year ago.

The roundabouts will cost two million dollars to install. 

The money is coming from the Metro sales tax funds assigned to western LA County through the office of Supervisor Lindsay Horvath,

Metro still has to approve the expenditure. … but it has been okayed already by the four cities along the 101 corridor in the Las Virgenes Council of Governments,

County supervisor Lindsey Horvath has been pressing to make immediate changes… Now.

Caltrans is still coming up with a master traffic safety plan… That will be reviewed by Malibu residence at a December 11 meeting.

And for the first time … last night we learned that the final decisions about Malibu’s man street will be made by the California Transportation Commission.

Assistant city manager Alexis Brown. 

70784 COMMISSION ALEXIS

“In March, they’ll be presenting the District 7 (plan) to the California Transportation Commission. That’s where we will identify the next steps as to where the funding and prioritization.”

A traffic circle at El Matador State Beach may mean a reduction in the number of beach visitor parking spaces along the highway.

And that raises the specter of the Coastal Commission … which has vigorously fought any traffic safety schemes that resulted in fewer beach parking spaces. 

he various state agencies that control the highway are planning a meeting in December to try to reach agreement on the inevitable loss of public parking on the coast highway … as some places used by beach access patrons are just not safe.

The city assistant city manager … Alexis Brown … says the Coastal Commission … state parks .. county beaches and harbors and other agencies will be at the table.

Council Approves Resident Requests For Speed Bumps On Busch and Bonsai

Speed humps will be installed on Busch Drive and Bonsai Drive … two major streets in Malibu Park.

It was a unanimous vote … after more than 60 percent of the residents on both streets signed petitions in favor.

One of them was Brian Spunn [PHONETIC] … he and his wife are raising his daughter on Busch Drive.

70779 BUSCH HUMPS BRIAN SPUNN 

“We’ve seen cars pass one another going in excess of 50 miles an hour. 

“There were also some scenarios earlier this year with some kids from the high school started a racing Instagram page and actually tracking their lap times around Malibu Park in at two in the morning. 

“We would hear the cars flying past our house.”

Not every city council member was enthusiastic.

Marianne Riggins voted for them … but she says there existing speed humps on Point Dume just cause drivers to speed up between them.

[This story was corrected at 9:40am to reflect that Riggins had worked in the Building Safety Department, although she often staffed the Planning Department desk. ]

City Planning Dept Will Merge With Building Safety 

The city planning department will be merged with the city building safety department … under a reorganization plan approved by the city council last night. 

Marianne Riggims … a councilwoman who used to work in the Building and Safety Department … was opposed.

She defended the current organizational flow.

70778 REFORM MR

“I still have not been provided anything whatsoever that has changed my mind that we need to reform this material. 

… “I’m guessing in a few years they’re gonna look at this and they’re gonna think well. Maybe it’s time to break up the departments again.”

Riggins was the lone vote against the reorganization … although Paul Grisanti abstained.

Mayor Doug Stewart said the reforms are not pro-growth.

70787 REFORM STEWART 

“Let’s not put the bogeyman on this anything you approve the way of new building is development.

“It’s really pro-Malibu.

“And here’s the other other side of this when you talk about replacing a property or having customers and about having people at the counter … these are usually Malibu residents.:

Councilmembers Bruce Silverstein and Steve Uhring also voted for the merger … which will result in the city hiring one additional person.

That would be a full time community development director … with overall responsibility to make sure that projects get expedited through Malibu’s long planning process … to get permits or get denied .. and then through plan check and inspection. 

Riggins made the point … that process is long and slow in purpose. 

70786 RIGGINS REORG

“The reason why it takes so long to get things done in this community is because we have very protective codes.

“And there are a lot of processes: our zoning code our  local coastal program are designed to protect the environment and to protect neighbors and to protect our general welfare of our community.

“So we had an example of something that took three months up in Big Bear and it took three years here?

“It takes longer here because there are so many boxes that have to be checked.”

The vote was three council members in favor … with Riggins opposed … and Paul Grisanti abstaining.

That was Grisanti’s last substantive vote on the city council.

He was defeated in his re-election drive … by Haylynn Conrad. 

In two weeks … Conrad will be sworn in.

Councilmember Attacks KBUU Reporter From City Council Dias 

Two city council members last night attacked KBUU and reporter Hans Laetz at the city council meeting. . 

Bruce Silverstein is most unhappy that the newscasts have reported on a lawsuit brought against them by a departed city employee … Adrian Fernandez. 

70783 BLOGGER BS 

“A lot of misinformation is spouted by Mr Laetz who I do contend is fake news..  

“He’s just a blogger. 

Silverstein has been attacking the reporter since KBUU reported that a lawsuit has been filed against the city … by a former deputy city planner. 

As we reported … Adrian Fernandez contends that Silverstein and Uhring defamed and demeaned him … and created a hostile work environment.

KBUU has reported on the facts alleged made in the lawsuit … and the reaction to it. 

At last night’s meeting  … Silverstein again commented on the lawsuit …

70782 SILV DEFENSE

BRUCE SILVERSTEIN:  “Um … the case makes a block of Swiss cheese look solid.”

MAYOR DOUG STEWART:  “Bruce, let’s be careful. Let’s be careful.

SILVERSTEIN:  “I know how to conduct myself, I am a lawyer. I’m goring to be very careful. I am not going to go into the facts or the details. 

“It should suffice to say I’ve said this publicly before, and I will say publicly it again, but the cases without factual or legal merit will be subject to dismissal motion, and it will be dealt with by the courts.”

It should be noted that KBUU asked Silverstein and the other council members for comment when the suit was filed … and Silverstein refused to comment. 

KBUU radio has faithfully and honestly reported what is in the claim…

The claim has not been verified …. it is a lawsuit … a lawsuit that fear could cost the city and its government insurance company tens of millions of dollars.

We have also fully reported on Silverstein’s public reaction … he said KBUU smells bad … and he apparently blames KBUU for what is alleged in the lawsuit.

Silverstein also objected to an article KBUU broadcast about the Malibu Township Council … and its past legal opposition to organized Little League or soccer games at Trancas Canyon Park. 

In that news item … we quoted city council member Marianne Riggins saying in public that the Malibu Township Council held a legal agreement blocking league play at Trancas. 

Again … we reported what the city council woman said

 

at a city council meeting.

Last night … Silverstein let us have it. 

70781 BS BLASTS 

“Again, you’re talking about a blogger who’s got a medium.

“You’re talking about someone who has no editor who refers to himself in the plural.

“Who does not do adequate research when reporting things which are really blogging things.

“And who has a political and biased agenda.

“So …  this is a person who also provides valuable information to the public from time to time and it’s really a shame that he can’t provide that valuable information without withholding his biases and prejudices and opinions when he purports to be providing news.”

We note that Google A-I defines a blogger as someone who writes regularly for an online journal or website.

And in both cases … KBUU was blogging … if you will … accurately on official actions … 

First … a lawsuit that was filed against the city and its taxpayers … with possible enormous financial liability for the city.

Second … comments made at a city council meeting by a council member on a matter of great civic importance..

We stand by our stories.

Silverstein also blasted us for referring to ourselves in the third person plural.

That is a standard … traditional journalistic practice .. a tradition that goes back centuries … it’s in to every journalism style manual ever printed. 

And once again … we point this out … 

On the radio … in our news articles …. we are reporting on important courtroom issues and city council facts … contentions made by others that Silverstein disagrees with.

We report the news. 

There are thousands of one person news teams like us all across America …. and there have been for centuries. 

Disaffected small town politicians come with the job. 

Now on the Internet … as an individual … this person … me … I … sometimes comment on local news..

Silverstein frequently reminds the public that he has a right to make personal comments outside his role as a city councilmen.

We might point out that this same right extends to us … to me …  to the press … and to bloggers.  

He is welcome to disagree.  

So are you.  

SMC Student Transfers To Columbia, Named To Nobel Scholar Honor In Sweden

A transfer student from Santa Monica College … now studying at Columbia University in New York … has been selected as a Future Nobel Laureate Scholar. 

Hunter Doradea is among 11 scholars selected from across the world by two study abroad groups in partnership with the Nobel Prize Museum. 

He will take part in sessions to learn from global thought leaders next month at the Nobel Week Dialogue, next month in Stockholm, Sweden.

Doradea is the first student from Santa Monica College and Columbia University selected as a Future Nobel Laureate Scholar. 

Doradea was selected for a project he developed that uses artificial intelligence to help war-torn countries build and preserve their infrastructure. 

SMC President Kathryn E. Jeffery said the SMC almumnus “embodies the potential and promise of community college transfer students.

“His work is going to transform the world!” She says. 

Last Two-Lane Section Of 395 Towards Mammoth Is Almost Gone

It seems like half of Malibu disappears to Mammoth Mountain every Thanksgiving.

And this year … traffic will be using a brand new section of four-lane expressway on US 395.

The last two lane section of 395 between Bishop and the 14 junction has been bypassed.

The old road through the hamlets of Cartago and Olancha … now bypassed. 

There is a small detour … a stretch of the old highway still has to be replaced … at the north end of Cartago. 

But that aggravating and unsafe section of 395 at the Death Valley turnoff … now bypassed with a four lane highway.

So the question … when will the last two lane section of Highway 14 between LA and Mammoth Lakes be widened?

There is 20 miles of two lane highway 14 to go. 

6 miles of it are under construction. 

That will leave a 12 mile gap … the last section of two lane highway on the highway to the Eastern Sierra. 

There is no funding for that.

Light Rain Predicted For Today Through Tomorrow Morning 

Los Angeles County is likely to see periods of light rain today … from mid day through tonight.

There’s a 60 percent chance of rain today … between a tenth to one quarter of an inch of rain will fall.

50 percent chance of rain tonight.

Slight chance of showers will linger into tomorrow morning .. followed by clearing skies during the day and warmer.

Sunshine is expected for Thanksgiving Day … with light- to- moderate Santa Ana winds likely. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph possible.