New Parking Lot North of Malibu High Suddenly Appears On SMMUSD Plan
Written by 991KBU on August 24, 2020
Santa Monica Malibu school officials have quietly added a small new parking lot to plans to rebuild Malibu High School.
A 14-place parking lot has appeared on the project’s environmental impact report … which was quietly released late last week.
The parking lot would be on the Clover Heights Avenue cul de sac …. at the north end of the school by the athletics fields.
Some people who live near Malibu High are not happy.
During decades of community meetings and back and forth with the district … the concept of a new parking not at the north end of Malibu High was brought up and rejected.
The circulation plan approved by the city council … when a new parking lot was approved for the east side of the high school … did -not- include any parking at the north end … off Clover Heights Avenue.
District facilities manager Carey Upton tells KBUU News the parking lot “was added to fix a problem with illegal parking at the cul-de-sac for athletic groups.”
He says “The small parking lot was primarily added in response to years of complaints from the neighbors, city staff and the fire department about AYSO, Little League and MHS Athletics parents blocking the cul-de-sac.”
But some neighbors are not happy for two reasons …. the change in plans was not discussed with surrounding neighbors.
And more importantly … they don’t want the narrow dead end street … which connects off a network of narrow twisting streets … used as access for the school campus and athletic fields.
Now … it’s part of an EIR and environmental impact report for the entire high school project.
Although a third of the campus has already been torn down and is being rebuilt … the other two thirds is decrepit and needs to be reconstructed.
This .. in order to keep a viable high school in Malibu.
School backers say a modern and attractive school is essential … if Malibu High is going to be an attractive choice for students and parents … who have choices on where to send their kids.
The district proposes to tear down the old Juan Cabrillo Elementary School and build a new high school on the site.
Parts of the new campus would include a new performing arts center and a new gym as well as a classroom structure that would exceed the city’s 28 foot high building height limit.
The new gym would have to be 45 feet high to accommodate indoor volleyball and basketball games … like the existing gym.
But it would be sited down the hill from other buildings … so it would not appear to be that tall.
The entire high school and middle school complex would have 47 classrooms … which is smaller than the existing campus layout.
The proposed parking lot … and the rest of the project … is out for review until September 21st.
There is a Zoom computer meeting to hear input on the changes on September Ninth.
Then the plans have to be approved by the Santa Monica Malibu school board and the Malibu planning commission and city council.
