Commission Pushes “Don’t Walk” Button On PCH Crosswalk

The Malibu Beach Inn would not be allowed to spread across Pacific Coast Highway … if last night’s decision by the city Planning Commission is upheld.

They voted last night … 4 to 1 … not to allow the hotel to park cars across the P C H and down the street.

Jeff Jennings … the lone yes vote.

Many residents in the city are really upset with the concept of splitting the business on both sides of PCH.

Dan Christensen was one … speaking at last night’s planning commission meeting/

CHRISTENSEN  QQQ THAT THEYRE OFFERING

“For the sake of the residents of this town who have to commute on this highway, mixed in from everyone all over the city having to drive through our city, please don’t approve this across the street parking routine and this shuttle plan that they’re offering.”

The city staff had recommended that the parking lot across the street be approved …. despite recommending last winter that it be denied.

Yes we just received several irate calls about our recommendation that the elementary school be known as the fighting bartendersBut member of the Planning Commission said they could not figure out what had changed int he concept.

City staff admitted that the restaurant had doubled in size … beyond its authorized size as regulated by the limited onsite parking.

And the hotel’s restaurant was serving the public.

Again … a parking problem.

But the staff said there had been no nuisance complaints … so that was not a big deal.

Tell that to Planning Commission Chairman Steve Uhring … who addressed the plan to park cars across the street from the hotel.

UHRING QQQQ  WE WANNA DO

“All of a sudden Malibu is going to look like downtown Tijuana.

“I’m gonna have cars goin’ back and forth, people are going be running across the thing, and I don’t think that’s what we want to do.”

The commission did approve a plan to add a very small swimming pool to the hotel …  but denied the offsite parking.

The decision will likely be appealed by the hotel to the city council.

And the hotel has intimated it will go to court if the city council says no.

And its not clear what that means for the traffic light that the hotel has already begun constructing  … just a few hundred feet from the existing traffic light at the Malibu Pier.