Tempers Flare As Council OKs ‘Minor’ Changes To Make Gillen Happy At Skate Park

Malibu’s skateboard park is one step closer to getting built …. 

Or heading to a lawsuit…. 

One of the two.

Tempers were nasty at last night’s Malibu City Council meeting … when a split city council approved three minor changes to the skate park design.

It was a 3 to 2 vote … with the familiar pairing of Bruce Silverstein and Stave Uhring voting no.

Why?

Silverstein said he wants the skatepark build … posthaste … as he put it.

But he was miffed that the skatepark developer …. Scott Gillan … had a temper tantrum at a Planning Commission meeting and threatened to sue the city if he didn’t get his way.

NEWSCART B70154 SKATE BS SUE

“what troubles me is that’s not why we’re here tonight.

“Because those comments could have been accommodated by good neighbors in the appeal hearing. 

“But we’re here tonight on a settlement of threatened litigation, because Mr. Gillen got up during the planning commission meeting, and not as diplomatically or politely, threatened to sue the city.”

Since that threat … Guillen and the city staff had patched things up … and brought forth an agreement for the city council last night.

Or so it seemed.

At the every last minute Monday night … Gillen’s team last night demanded two additional changes. 

And that infuriated the council members …

Gillen stomped out of the council chambers. …

Meanwhile … skate park advocates were screaming at the city council.

Hamish Patterson .. a onetime city council candidate and semiprofessional skateboarder.

NEWSCART B70155 SKATE HAMISH 

“I get why this is falling apart.

“We went from talking about landscaping and skate park designs. 

“All the sudden we’re talking about parking, indemnification, lawsuits, all sorts of stuff.

“I get why they’re walking.

“You get to hold it, Bruce, if this skateboard park doesn’t go through, it’s on you it’s on you, Bruce and Steve (Uhring), for not making this happen.”

Another loud skateboard proponent … Andy Lyon … blamed the other side.

He said the deal … as it is … should go through and let Gillen sue.

A moment later …. Gillen calmed down and returned the room  … to drop the requested changes. 

The council majority felt the changes asked by Gillen were minor … despite his record of threatening to file suit.

Doug Stewart,

NEWSCART B70157 SKATE DS MINOR

“it’s only got minor changes: 10 feet here 2 feet off the shelf. These are so minor that even the planning Director said it wasn’t material enough to have to change any of the approval and I think we also have been store changes and we’re accommodating them and he’s paying for them.

As we said … the council voted 3 to 2 to approve a development agreement with Scott Gillen.

Next week … it will make a decision on the developer’s appeal of the city Pklanning Commission’s rejection of the deal.

4 Races Outside Malibu Will Affect Malibu Residents

In election results of interest to Malibu … four races stand out.

As expected … Adam Schiff and Steve Garvey will advance to the fall election for the U-S Senate seat once held by Dianne Feinstein.

Katie Porter is now a lame duck Congresswoman.

In the city of Los Angeles … look for more traffic calming … road diets and parking restrictions. 

Measure HLA is passing with a nearly 2 to 1 vote.

Major streets like Ventura Boulevard will get new bike lanes. 

On the westside … Measure HLA could mean parking bans… access control and other changes to some major streets, like:

Sunset Boulevard between thre 405 and UCLA.

Olympic Boulevard between Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. 

And La Cienega Boulevard … between the 10 freeway and Hollywood. 

The measure will add 300 miles of improvements for buses … including bus lanes and signal prioritization for public transit.

Measure HLA is sponsored by some of there same activists who are pressing for major safety changes to Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.

HLA will require LA to build 238 miles of protected bike lanes.

Hundreds of miles of traffic lanes will disappear … replaced be center turn lanes in the middle … and bike lanes on the sides. 

LA’s Firefighters union opposed it … with a political tinge … much like they opposed mandatory Covid vaccines for firefighters.

Backers point to an increasing fatality count for bikes and pedestrians … much like in Malibu.

In the South Bay ,.,, former sheriff Alex Villanueva failed miserably in his effort to unseat a political enemy.

Incumbent supervisor Janice Hahn was one of a board majority that had major orblemts with Villanueva’s autocratic behavior as elected sheriff.

Villanueva ran to unseat Hahn.

She handed him his head … with a 55 percent vote to the former sheriff’s 31 percent.

And controversial District Attorney George Gascon .. a progressive …. got only 21 percent of the vote yesterday.

His 11 opponents split 88 percent of the votes. 

He will face conservative law and order type Nathan Hochman in this fall’s runoff. 

Turnout … only 16 percent in LA County.

 

Coastal Commission Staff Recommends Changes (Surprise!) In Malibu Beach Sign Rules

The California Coastal Commission staff has problems with a Malibu plan to allow beachfront landowners to post private beach signs on their land.

Right now … the Coastal Commission requires malibu to ban such signs.

Te commission says the signs have been misleading the public … by indicating private ownership of land that actually belongs to all Californians.

So … the commission required the city to ban the signs.

Federal courts say that is an unconstitutional infringement of free speech.

Malibu changed its rules to allow the signs.

The Coastal Commission says Malibu’s proposed change would open the door to beachfront landowners to post signs that are misleading …. That falsely claim ownership of state tidelands that are open to the public. 

The commission staff says “the State has a compelling interest in ensuring that speech is not used to mislead the public by denying the existence of existing public rights.” 

And the commission staff oeoiunts out that property liens along the shore move with the high tide … and they want Malibu to require landowners to mention the moving property lines on any signs. 

Free speech advocates would question why the State of Califo9rnoa has any business telling them anything about what to say on their signs on their land. 

The matter will be voted own by the California Coastal Commission when they meet next Wednesday in Sacramento. 

 

Food Truck Operations (But Not The Food) May Get City Fingers Sticking In

Malibu is taking a look at the operation of food trucks within the city.

Although the county regulates sanitation and food safety … there are few regulations on operational safety. 

Los Angeles County has regulations that dictate the preparation and sale of food, which ensure the safety and health of the public. 

Mobile food facilities like trucks and carts must have the necessary permits, pass inspections, and comply with all regulations regarding food handling. 

But oOperational safety involves rules and regulations around where and when they can operate. 

These regulations are usually designed to protect pedestrians, residents, and traffic flow. 

In Malibu, the operational safety concern frequently cited by residents and law enforcement when food trucks park in locations that create traffic hazards. 

Currently, the City has a Sidewalk Vendor Ordinance, but it does not apply to food trucks. 

Tonight at 5 … the city’s Public Safety Commission will meet at Malibu City Hall.

City public safety Director Susan Duenas wants the Commission to identify any issues that may need to be addressed.

 

Santa Monica Powerless To Make Changes In 512 Unit Complex With 12 Buildings On Way To LAX

A gigantic condo and apartment complex has been approved for a busy corner in Santa Monica. 

The existing Gelsons supermarket at the corner of Lincoln and Ocean Park boulevards will be replaced by 12 six-story buildings …. And a massive underground parking garage. 

That’s 521 housing units.

Te massive project will be on state Highway 1 one mile south of the 10 Freeway… the traffic-choked route between Malibu and LAX.

Many Santa Monica residents were opposed… but the city council was powerless to make it smaller or make other changes.

State laws encourage housing over neighborhood opposition … so this project bypasses environmental review and Santa Monica’s Planning Commission and city council. 

Residents mounted a last minute appeal for the developer to downsize the project … there said it is poorly conceived, out of scale with the neighborhood, and disregards how it will affect traffic, water usage, lack of open space, and City infrastructure.

 

MHC Basketball And Soccer Players Honored By Citrus Coast League

Two basketball players from Malibu High have made the first all-star team in the Citrus Coast League …. 

Tat’s the league of Ventura County schools that our local athletes compete in.

Hannah Caliper and Casey Ovsiowitz named to the first team … by a vote of the coaches. 

Dylan Goosen and Lauren Lapajne made second team honors.

Five Malibu students made honorable mention: 

Leah Brasel, 

Tara DeLuca

Morgan Donnelly

Sawyer Keegan

and Elizabeth Kim of Malibu.

In the soccer teams:

Jessa Kletter made first team.

Malia Mosshart and Julian Tompkins made second team.

Honorable mention went to

Charli Clark,

Roman Foulquier, 

Ava Niccol

Brenden Readyhoff 

Kaia Ryan and 

Amar Taha.

The students are selected by coaches in the Citrus Coast League and reporters at the Ventura County Star newspaper.