Nobu Gets Permit To Host July 4th Party Despite Last Year’s PCH Blockage

Malibu’s tortured relationship with Nobu restaurant enters a new phase this summer, as the city has tentatively granted the celebrity restaurant a permit for its annual Fourth of July party, which has been an enormous pain in the neck for Malibu residents and visitors. 

Last summer’s party culminated in a daylong blockade of Pacific Coast Highway in the heart of the city, as party limos and others parked in the center turn lane and sought entry into the restaurant, which had been rented out to party company.

More than 700 people crammed the event, which had a permit for 100 guests.  “Party buses, limousines, and private coaches” parked in the center turn lane, and pedestrians and vehicle drivers clamored to get into the parking lot – corking up the highway in both directions for hours. 

Sgt. Chris Soderlund said at a July 10, 2023 city council meeting: 

“They were party buses, limousines, private coaches, and what they did was – because there wasn’t any parking for them – they took over the center median and left their vehicles there on PCH and left their vehicles there.

“There were dozens and dozens of vehicles.”

Malibu city officials were furious.  City councilman Steve Uhring at the July 10 council meeting said 

“We gotta do something to stop Nobu from doing whatever they want, whenever they want.  They just don’t care.”

Interim city attorney Trevor Russin pronounced the crowd size to be a “a major violation of their CUP” – the restaurant’s Conditional Use Permit. 

That resulted in a meeting with city zoning officials and the top officer at the Malibu-Lost Hills Sheriff’s Office, Capt. Jennifer Seetoo. 

And the restaurant management pledged to follow city rules.

But last week, the city issued a tentative decision to allow Nobu to grossly violate those rules – for one time – via a Temporary Use Permit for this July 4th.

The decision, by city Planning Director Richard Mollica, can be appealed by any person, but as of Thursday, no one had done so.

What about the evidence of past misbehavior, causing two hours of delay for motorists trying to get past Nobu on PCH?  No one filed an official complaint, said a city spokesman who answered this reporter’s emailed questions to Mollica.

The unofficial complaints about noise, traffic, illegal parking, trash, and excessive numbers of people trying to get in did not give the city standing to deny this year’s permit request, according to Matt Myerhoff, the city spokesman.

“The event last July 4 at Nobu was not a permitted event. Even if it was, under the City Code, each TUP must be reviewed as a stand alone application, and it cannot be denied based on a previous TUP at the same location,” Myerhoff wrote.

According to Myerhoff, the applicant agreed to all of the conditions that the City laid out, and the LA County Sheriff’s Dept. agreed those conditions would satisfy their safety, traffic, noise, population, trash, parking concerns. 

Attendance is capped at 250 people, the city spokesman said, and event staff will monitor the population with ticket counters at the site’s entry at all times. City Code Enforcement will monitor the event population at specified intervals throughout the duration of the event for adherence to the 250 person limit.

There will be no closures or conversions of any lanes on PCH, Myerhoff said. Nobu, with the certification of Caltrans, already has a curb lane of the street that is dedicated to the restaurant for ride share drop offs and pick ups. 

There are no priority lanes on the highway itself, Myerhoff said.   The curbside drop off zone will be used to vet VIP permit holders with a parking pass to enter the Nobu lot.

Two shuttle buses will ferry non-VIP guests to and from an unidentified parking lot in Santa Monica – an hours-long trip on most holidays.  People will not be allowed foot entry into Nobu, and “privacy hedges” will be set up to mask celebrities and corral common-folk out of the area. 

“General population participants will not be allowed to utilize ride shares,” Myerhoff said, although it is unclear how any agency could possibly stop an Uber driver from making a stop at McDonald’s across the street, or anywhere else near Nobu.

“Event participants are not allowed to utilize ride share vehicles for entry or departure,” Myerhoff told KBUU. “Event participants must utilize one of the two shuttle buses that will transport participants at intervals from an offsite location.

“The City has not approved the closure of any portion of PCH.  There is no closure of any lane occurring for this event.

“There is no restriction of access to beachgoers or passersby entering neighboring businesses. CHP will operate in the median of PCH to assist with traffic regulation on the day,” he said.

Myerhoff said sufficient event staff shall be provided to ensure that traffic does not back up onto Pacific Coast Highway or any public street.

If applicant is shown to violate terms of this permit, the applicant will pay a $5,000 fine to be collected by the City – petty cash to a company with billion dollar profits around the world.

An outside event management company is selling sponsorships for the event to high-ticket liquor, jewelry and other companies anxious to connect themselves to the celebrity list.  

The issue is expected to be discussed at Monday’s planning commission meeting.   Commission members, most particularly John Mazza, have been vocal opponents of the restaurant’s operating practices. 

Editor’s note: this reporter is on hiatus and – with poor internet connections – not able to fully report this issue.   We will have full reports resuming June 27.