=.  The Secret Service rents a house in Big Rock to protect Hunter Biden.

=.  A half dozen cops here … a half dozen deputies there. 

=.  Malibu sees a dramatic number of CHP officers … deputies on special details … even Secret Service agents. 

=.  A mostly-quiet county agency … concerned with the environment … agency wants to annex Malibu.

=.  The Malibu Inn’s billiards room bites the dust … or did it???

=.  And turn open up the windows … not today .. but tomorrow. 

====

This is Malibu’s Only Local Daily News … the Monday edition … I’m Hans Laetz reporting. 

Secret Service Rents $30,000 House Near Big Rick To Protect Hunter Biden

Hunter Biden .. the president’s son … has moved to Big Rock.

And so has an enormous security detail … Secret Service and and California Highway Patrol officers.

As we’ve reported … Hunter Biden has quietly rented a house in Big Rock to live with his wife … young child … and to work in his art studio.

It appears that the protection detail assigned to Hunter Biden has recently grown dramatically … as federal officials further investigate the younger Biden on possible tax evasion charges.

A large number of CHP officers… believed assigned to the president’s family … has been spotted in eastern Malibu.

ABC News reported today that the Secret Service detail assigned to protect Hunter Biden has has been paying more than $30,000 a month on rent for a mansion next door to Biden’s rented home.

ABC News is quoting sources familiar with the matter … the Secret Service will not confirm.

Nor will the California Highway Patrol.

But this is an apparent explanation for the large number of CHP units that was parked in eastern Malibu last weekend and ignored the takeover of PCH by about 100 unlicensed mini bikes… In a road swarm that went right past the security detail.

A retired Secret Service agent who now works for ABC News as a consultant told the TV network the 30 thousand dollar per month rental cost for its agents is the cost of doing business.

Federal law requires the agency to protect the president, the first family, and anybody else the president designates for protection.

While he was president, Donald Trump’s properties charged the U.S. government more than 2 and a half million dollars rot rent rooms at Trump properties … to allow Secret Service agents to use rooms near him.

That practice continues now at Mar-a-Lago Florida and at the deposed president’s summertime residence at his golf course in New Jersey.

Back in Malibu… It’s not clear yet how the massive security presence at big rock will affect local life.

But it does appear that the number of CHP and Secret Service agents assigned to Malibu has increased dramatically.

====

Support for Radio Malibu KBUU comes from the Mark and Grether Group. The Mark and Grether Group is proud to be a trusted resource … your local experts available to help you navigate to intricacies of Malibu real estate. The Mark and Grether Group is a top-producing team with 35 years of experience and over $1 billion of real estate sold and leased … from the Malibu coastline to the canyons.

Extra Deputies at Zuma, Plus Extra Deputies Protecting LA Cops On Bike Ride

The weekend traffic noise on PCH continued yesterday … but there was a huge number of sheriff’s deputies at Zuma Beach … on other matters.

While the regular traffic enforcement efforts were underway at the illegal Cross Creek car shows …. About six deputies continued to train on all terrain vehicles at Zuma Beach.

That would be preparations for the summer beach team patrols at Zuma.

And on PCH … a special detail of LA sheriff’s deputies was open escort duty.

At least four squad cars …two motorcycles and some city volunteers on patrol were escorting a special bicycle tour down the coast.

The bicycle tour was apparently a group of LA police officers … something called the Police Unity Tour.

Apparently … they ride bikes to raise funds for the National Law Enforcement memorial in Washington DC.

Traffic was stopped on PCH cross streets for this event … which passed thru Malibu Sunday morning. 

Six deputies on that … six deputies on the beach team ATVs … and at least six CHP officers clustered near Hunter Biden’s house at Big Rock.

Malibu was certainly swarming with cops over the weekend. 

In the middle of all that … the Malibu Lost Hills sheriff’s statement out out an announcement 

that it has extra deputies cracking down on traffic violations at the Cross Creek car shows. 

The Sheriff’s Department publicly asked those who participate in the “car show” to stop congregating in the Cross Creek parking lots … as the event is not permitted or allowed. 

On its social media accounts … the sheriff’s office said they are seeking everyone’s cooperation and hoping to avoid issuing citations. 

And that asked people not to be be frustrated by the increase in enforcement.

====

Support for KBUU Radio comes from the Malibu Brewing Company.

Malibu Brewing Company is a locally owned craft brewery, proudly supporting our community, and local public radio.

Their Happy Days Honey Blonde is a lightly dry traditional blonde ale … brewed with local wildflower honey from the Santa Monica Mountains.

Find Malibu Brewing Company premium craft beer in select retailers, or order direct at brew malibu dot com

Malibu Inn AKA Aviator Nation Parking Saga May Continue Tonight

The strange and twisted tale of the Malibu Inn continues.

The owners of the building… Now called aviator nation… are trying to help get permission to construct a multi story hotel next-door. This would be on the vacant lot currently used for parking the restaurant… A long-standing landmark across PCH from the Malibu pier.

The city required 50 parking places for the old Malibu Inn. 

Aviator nation wants top reduce the size of the restaurant by tripling the size of its retail store … which cells sunglasses and shorts … next door.

Aviator Nation has further cut the service capacity at the restaurant …. They converted the former billiards room into what they call an employee lounge…

The reduction in service area they contend means they supposedly only need 39 parking places. 

The proposed hotel next-door… which will eat up the extra parking places… Is tied up right now in an argument over whether it has to connect to the Civic Center sewer or use on-site sewage disposal… which may be much cheaper.

There is significant doubt if the multi story hotel will get approved by the city. 

There is widespread community opposition to the five story high retaining wall that would be built behind the proposed hotel … which would be terraced up the hill. 

Which brings us back to.Aviator Nation … which goes before the Planning Commission tonight on its request to reduce the number of required parking places … across the street from the most-crowded tourist magnet on the Malibu … the pier. 

The Planning Commission meets tonight at 6 on the internet only. 

=====

Support for KBUU radio… For eight years now… Has come from Rancho Del Cielo. Perched high above the Pacific Ocean and overlooking Paradise Cove… Rancho Del Cielo is a partner bringing public radio to the Malibu.

MRCA Plan For Malibu Mountains Camping To Back To County Supers In 17 Days

Camping in the Santa Monica Mountains is about to heat up.

Or at least … the squabbling over camping in the Santa Monica Mountains.

The issue goes before the L A County Board of Supervisors in 2-1/2 weeks.

The MRCA … the Mountain Resource and Conservation Authority … has been has been trying set up campgrounds just above the Malibu city limits for decades.

It has been thwarted by a state law … that does not allow any development in environmentally sensitive habitat area. 

And a judge has ruled on the side of Ramirez Canyon residents … who successfully argued that a campground by its very nature is incompatible with ESHA.

An LA judge … John Chalafant … has ruled that the state’s Coastal Act does allow camping in the area.  

But he says the same set of laws prohibit disturbing ESHA … and the law says that protection overrides any concept of camping in the Santa Monica Mountains.

The L A County Board of Supervisors is trying to write its way around the state law … by drafting  a Local Coastal Plan that would allow camping in ESHA …

The Local Coastal Plan revision will be voted on … apparently … by the county board of supervisors on April 19th. 

The Malibu city council will consider how to oppose the county camping plan at its meeting at its meeting next Monday night.

And if all this sounds familiar… This legal battle dates back more than 10 years.

======

Support for KBUU Radio also comes the the Malibu Association of Realtors.

When choosing someone to represent you when you buy … sell or rent a house … local knowledge is very important.

Malibu zoning rules … Coastal Commission rules …

Members of the Malibu Association of Realtors are local experts.

The Malibu Association of Realtors …  supporters of our local community … and supporters of local radio 99.1 KBUU.

Another (Very Small) Government Agency Wants In On Malibu

Malibu has been nominated for inclusion into a little-noticed government district that promotes conservation in the Santa Monica Mountains region.

The district is called the Resources Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains .. the RCD for short.

It is one of the half dozen overlapping state agencies that have their fingers in governing the local area.

For those of you keeping track … that includes California State Parks … the MRCA … the Board of Supervisors … the Coastal Commission … the Coastal Conservancy … the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission … the state water board … et cetera.

More than a decade ago … there was a huge battle over the RCD’s participation in the restoration project at the Malibu Lagoon. 

Some Surfrider Beach advocates were outspoken and furious over the project … but the City of Malibu itself stayed out of the fight.

The RCD is pretty quiet … it mostly acts as a fundraising group to promote conservation projects. Things like restoring habitat for the native frogs in the local creeks.

It runs classroom programs for school kids at Malibu Lagoon.

More lately … it is also a lead agency in efforts to reconstruct coastal lagoons at Topanga Beach and at Trancas.

The RCD is a special tax district encompassing all of the Santa Monica Mountains …. All of the mountains -except- the City of Malibu.

The idea is to annex the city into the special conservation district … like other cities int he area.

The Resource Conservation District runs on a shoestring budget.

Last year … its budget was 580 thousand dollars.

About two thirds of that was property tax money from LA and Ventura counties.

Apparently … the RCD gets a few pennies from every property tax payer in its district.

And Malibu may be annexed into that district soon. 

======

Support for KBUU Radio comes from the Malibu Foundation.

The Malibu Foundation underwrote the KBUU solar panels and batteries at the transmitter … which keeps KBUU’s FM transmitting on 99.1 during storms and blackouts… 24 seven… on clean renewable Malibu sunshine.

Senior Center Reopens

The City’s senior center is set to reopen starting today.

9 o’clock this morning.

The computer lab, library.. games and numerous recreation programs available.

Perhaps most importantly … social connections.

That and the free coffee.

It’s the first time the senior center has been open for indoor activities since the epidemic started.

Face coverings are not required, but are strongly recommended in Malibu City Hall, in line with the updated Los Angeles County Health Officer Order as of March 4, 2022. Staff is also available to assist with Dial-A-Ride questions and program registrations. 

101 Weirdness West Of Ventura Coming Soon

This traffic note from up the coast.

Caltrans is rebuilding the 101 freeway in Ventura County. 

There are going to be significant lane closures between Mussel Shoals and the city of Ventura.

And one lane heading towards Ventura is going to be split off … and routed over to the side of the freeway heading the other way … towards Ventura.

Miles of concrete railings will separate the traffic. 

=======

You can hear the news live every morning until 9:30 on KBUU.

FM 99.1 in western Malibu.  Also: streaming at www.radiomalibu.net

Between 10 and 2 … you can hear the newscast playback loop on KBU2. That’s on FM 99.1 HD2 in your car, or streaming at s7.viastreaming.net/6500

If humanly possible, the KBUU NewsScript is usually published at around midday at www.radiomalibu.net