=   Caltrans lays down the law … sidewalks, and bike lanes are coming to Pacific Coast Highway.

=.  Malibu will get to have input on other major traffic changes… like increasing parking and how to squeeze in the bike lanes. 

=. Roundabouts and reducing the highway to one lane in each direction west of Trancas also proposed.

=.  Santa Monica school officials get a shock… Malibu walks away from the table at the divorce talks. 

=.  Surf’s up one more day .. then drops .. but a big swell is coming Sunday. 

=.  The LA Times commits suicide … the billionaire publisher interferes with independent journalism. That’s next on the California Report. 

Malibu walks away from negotiations with Santa Monica … and will take its divorce request directly to the county … with no alimony deal.

That story in just a few moments … but first …

Caltrans Lays Down The New State Law: Sidewalks and Bike Lanes Will Be Installed On PCH

Get ready for a massive change in the layout of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. 

State officials last night showed drawings … cross sections … of a PCH with a bike lane and sidewalk on both sides of the road … in eastern Malibu. 

Caltrans has appointed a special project liaison engineer for this …  Ryan Snyder.

And he said .. recent surveys taken by the state included a majority of non Malibu residents. 

70707 SURVEY RYAN SNYDER

“68% of the poll said they were recreational users; 22% local residents; 9% local employee;, 2 percent local business owners and then some others. 

“And this is something we take into account.

“We understand that you all live here, and this is your community and we do provide an appropriate level of deference.

“I mean .. you are the people that deal with this on a daily basis, so …

“But we understand that this is a state highway and voices from outside here are also to be heard from.”

And the Caltrans engineer said the decisions on how to lay out a new PCH will be made in collaboration with the city council.

So what does Caltrans want to do?
Striped bike lanes and sidewalks in the crowded residential and business area between Cross Creek and Las Flores canyon.

Barrier-protected bike lanes in the far east end of city.

Barrier-protected bike lanes from Cross Creek all the way west to Leo Carrillo Beach.

Only one lane in each direction on PCH west of Trancas, with ocasional passing lanes.

In the narrowest areas of eastern Malibu … the combination center turn /emergency vehicle lane would disappear to make way for bike lanes.

Mountain-side parking would be eliminated from Las Flores to the eastern city limit. 

The La Costa and business strip areas would get bike stripes … but Caltrans needs to remove either the center lane or roadside parking. 

Both the center lane and parking on both sides of the road would be removed near the pier … to make way for wider sidewalks and maybe even roadside dining.

In the Malibu Pier area… The state engineer said the community has an overwhelming favorite:

70709 BOULEVARD 

“A landscaped median was heavily favored in through the central business area, where we heard from many in the community that you want to make that a main street or boulevard context of environment.”

West of Cross Creek … next to Legacy Park … huge changes.

Protected bike lanes.  A reduced center median.  Diagonal .. back in parking for the beach. 

West of Pepperdine … no parking on the inland side of the road … including in front of the Jewish center and at the Las Flores Beach and Malibu seafood area.

Protected bike lanes there. 

And at the trailhead near Winding Way … no parking on the ocean side of the road.

At Paradise Cove … no parking on the land side of the road. 

At Zuma Beach … protected bike lanes and possibly back in diagonal parking. 

West of Trancas … one lane only instead of two … 

The state says there traffic load cn be handled safely with one lane … and occasional passing lanes.

All of this is uo for discussion… the state official said.,

Except for the bike lanes and sidewalks. 

Striped bike lanes in the eastern part of the city .. and west of Malibu Creek … protected bike lanes will be installed. 

Notice we said will.

Snyder said a brand new state law … signed by the governor last month … requires sidewalks and a bike lane on state highways like PCH.

How to squeeze that in??? What has to be eliminated … the center lane or parking on one side of the road or the other?

The city gets to collaborate on that … but the final decision rests with Caltrans. 

The own the road … and most of the drivers are not from Malibu.

But Caltrans … he says… is firm … bike lanes and sidewalks are coming.

There is no money for all this.

And it may take up to a decade to build it. 

Malibu Suddenly Walks Away From Negotiations With SM, After SM School Board Blows Another Deadline

Malibu officials say Santa Monica has once again missed a promised deadline … and as a result … Malibu has yanked a proposed financial deal to continue to subsidize Santa Monica schools after a district divorce.

By a unanimous vote yesterday … the city said it has had enough with Santa Monica delays.

One city councilman said the district’s school board members may say they support Malibu independence … but mismanage their actions and keep causing delay.

The city’s lawyer … Trevor Russin … read a statement at yesterday’s closed door city council meeting. 

70709 DEAL OFF TREVOR RUSSIN

“As the school board has failed to approve the agreement that was recommended by their committee, within the mutually agreed-upon deadlines, the city council has voted unanimously to move his petition forward unilaterally, with the county committee, with an independent feasibility that does not include a number of generous financial terms that have been offered by the city in an effort to work together.”

That means .. the city attorney said … that the city is walking away from the poker table and taking its chips with it. 

“The city is thus requesting the independent feasibility study and petition be considered by the committee at the upcoming November hearings.”

The school board was blindsided … caught flat footed … by the sudden Malibu decision.

Its spokesperson said there would be .. as usual … no comment from Santa Monica. 

The school board already had the divorce item on its agenda for tonight’s meeting … in Santa Monica … also behind closed doors. 

Westside Supervisor Makes The Case For Measure G, To Expand The Board if Supervisors

Los Angeles County could be dramatically transformed if measure G passes on the fall ballot.

Measure G would increase the number of county supervisors sitting on one of the most powerful political bodies in the country… from five members to nine members.

It would also set the wheels in motion for creating a countywide chief executive to run the massive LA county bureaucracy. 

And it was set up an ethics committee to oversee everything.

Lindsey Horvath represents Malibu and the west side … and she is one of the three members of the board who support diluting their own power.

70710 G  1 HORVATH

“People have brought up the fact ‘oh why are you trying to dilute your power?’

“First of all: I don’t see it that way.

“But second of all: I wouldn’t be willing to share my own power if I didn’t think it was going to make the county better.

“In this case, I think it does.

“By having more voices at the table and by a separating out that authority so there’s somebody empowered to actually get the work done on a daily basis.

“I think that’s incredibly important.

“Our current CEO doesn’t have the authority to hire and fire.

“She doesn’t even have the authority to manage departments.

“We do all of that as the board of supervisors.

“We even do department head performance evaluations every year.

“When you have five people in charge, you have no one in charge.

“That’s why some of the meaningful changes that people expect to see, just never get done.”

Measure G would also create an elected chief executive officer … in effect … one mayor for all of L A County. 

Lindsey Horvath says LA County deserves to have three branches of government … just like the state … just like the large cities in California. 

Horvath acknowledges that the 

One of her colleagues on the Board of Supervisors … Hollie Mitchell … is calling Measure G premature … she wants a no vote … she wants more study.

70711 G 2 HORVATH

“She is. And I believe that we’ve studied the thing to death, at least the part that we’ve proposed in this charter amendment. 

“It’s been studied since even before the 1970s.

“People have been calling for reform for a long time. 

“This will be the most significant package ever of reform ever for Los Angeles County governance in more than 100 years.”

pacjake in reform effort for LA County give in nine than 100 years.

Measure G is on the ballots … which were mailed out a week ago.

Piuma Wedding Venue Shut Down By LA County Regional Planning, Irate Bride and Groom File Suit

The owners of a mansion overlooking Malibu … up on Piuma Road … have been ordered by Los Angeles County to stop renting it out as a wedding venue.

Living The Dream is the name of the event location … but now brides who put down money to rent the mansion are living a nightmare … of undoing their pending marriage celebratons.

One couple sued “Living The Dream” on Wednesday, alleging it had paid for the promised electrifying views, ample parking and space for numerous overnight guests.

Shane Foley and Leah Sanfilippo allege breach of contract, fraud, false advertising and negligence. 

Their suit claims their day of wonder and love was transformed into a nightmare of trying to fins alternative nuptial location .. and housing for their guests.

The lawsuit claims that LA County had been trying to shut down the wedding venue for years before Living The Dream accepted their deposit to rent the wedding venue … high above Malibu.

Just before the wedding … Living other Dream pulled out of the deal.

You can imagine the impact on the bride and groom.

They are suing for intentional infliction of emotional distress … breach of contract … etc.