Malibu Businesses Say PCH Closure Is ‘Verge Of Catastrophe’

BRUDERLIN TOWEL 71097 

“We’re on the verge of a catastrophe for Malibu. 

“It’s just shocking to me.

“Businesses that are calling me …  telling me they’re throwing in the towel.”

Malibu’s businesses are in a state of crisis.  Barbara Bruderlin … executive director of the Chamber of Commerce … painted a dire picture at last night’s city council meeting. 

Pacific Coast Highway may be closed to through traffic through the end of May … according to the Army Corps of Engineers.  That means another two months of traffic misery and business starvation.

The number of people getting through the roadblocks … are not enough to sustain Malibu’s businesses. 

Mikke Pierson is a chamber member and business consultant.

60 PERCENT MP

“Most of our local iconic business and independent businesses are on the verge of bankrupt. There is no traffic they’re down 60 to 80%. It’s completely unsustainable.”

One of those business owners is Allison Buntz [spelled phonetically] … who ran a bakery out of her home kitchen.

She lost both her home and business in the fire. 

BUNTZ 71101

“As many of us are aware local Malibu businesses are suffering with a reported 50 to 80% decrease in sales since the fires Malibu farm is at a decrease of 50 percvwnt. Broad Street Oysters at a decrease of 75 to 80% and Lucy is already closed.” 

The Chamber of Commerce points the finger at Malibu landlords.

EXTORTION 71098

“Unfortunately, our landlords are being predatory and extortionary and they are demanding long leases in order to keep their demanding long leases.”

The Chamber of Commerce executive Ddrector told the Malibu city Council last night that eviction moratorium is needed.  And an easing of the road closure.

BRUD REOPEN 71099 

“We need to have PCH open fully on the weekends.

“I know that’s a lot to ask, but that’s what we need.

“If you want the business, that’s the only thing that’s going to do it.”

Business owners say the federal and state disaster grants and loans are not available to them.

The reason:  money may be available to businesses that burned down, but NOT to businesses that are cut off from customers for months at a time due to the road closure. 

One answer may be a direct grant program … maybe from the city.   Or maybe a change in the declaration of emergency from the governor … opening up relief to all. 

Malibu officials do not control the city of Los Angeles … Los Angeles police are listening to Los Angeles residents … who don’t want the road into Pacific Palisades reopened.

At last night city council meeting… Mayor Doug Stewart said Malibu is not in control on this one… as Los Angeles controls a chunk of the highway

PCH ISSUES DS 71095

“LAPD has been involved in it as well.

“We have got people who don’t open because they’re afraid of looters. lookie-loos. 

“We’ve got people on PCH that don’t want to have lucky loose or they feel it’s going to block their property. We have people in LA city that don’t want to have problems with too many cars on PCH when they try to do with their cleanup. So everybody’s got their own issue.”

Daytime… huge amounts of construction vehicles on the highway.

At night … a lot of holes on the highway … it’s an obstacle course … one lane in each direction … and a 25 mile an hour speed limit that is fairly well enforced.

LOOTING ISSUES DS 71096

“We have got safety issues, loading issues, construction issues, access issues. It ain’t easy. 

“The colonel from the Army Corps of Engineers is correct. There’s a lot of work to be done on PCH. 

“He says the end of May (for a reopening date target).

“Caltrans has their own safety issues that they’re trying to do. You’ve got SCE digging large holes to put the undergrounding in. 

“And I will tell you… I drove the other night…  there are about 2000 orange cones per mile and when you get those in your headlights, it is just a bunch of reflectors all over the place.

“It’s difficult to drive on. It’s not gonna be safe.”

Caltrans is supposed to be in attendance at town hall Wednesday night at 6 on the computers: www.maliburebuilds.org/events

 

County Adds Caltrans Town Hall Wed Night, As Caltrans Presses Ahead To PCH Meeting In Santa Monica

Caltrans has plans to repave Pacific Coast Highway … and it has plans to discuss those plans at a meeting in Santa Monica Thursday. 

Four years of construction are promised … in the middle of the reconstruction of more than 700 burned houses along the highway in Malibu along … plus almost a thousand burned houses using PCH to get to Pacific Palisades.

Of course … that Caltrans meeting Thursday in Santa Monica may as well be on the moon for Malibu residents … given the closure of PCH to general traffic.  

And Caltrans says they do not have the capacity for putting the meeting on Youtube or Zoom.

Now comes news that LA County and the City of Malibu will hold its own town hall … on the computers … tomorrow night: www.maliburebuilds.org/events

Caltrans supposedly will be in attendance at tomorrow night’s town hall … on the computers.

Locals have been asking questions about the repaving project … which is supposed to last three years and will include installation of a bike lane on one side of the road … 

The westbound bike lane will be added for just two miles out of the 12 mile section of road scheduled for repaving. 

Caltrans officials refused to provide Malibu residents with a way to attend their public meeting in Santa Monica without driving down there … no computer links.

But now … county supervisor Lindsay Horvath has scheduled a town hall on PCH.

It will be tomorrow night at 6 … www.maliburebuilds.org/events

Deadline Is Monday To Have Feds Clear Burned Lots Or Go It Alone, But City Has No Penalties

The deadline is approaching next Monday … for landowners to decide whether to hire a contractor to clear their fire debris. … or let the Army Corps of Engineers do it. 

Col Brian Sosser of the Army Corps Of Engineers stood in front of La Costa Beach yesterday … to warn of the impending deadline.

ARMY DECIDE 71107 

“If you make an election and you opt out – perfectly fine for us. 

“We know who you opt out with and then we can bring them in to actively work with is to solve these problems. 

“We are actively working with private contractors right next to us, on this beach, as I’m making these comments.

“And we can only do that because we know what that homeowner has elected to do.”

So … the question is … what happens to people who don’t opt in or don’t opt out by the end of March.

Are they facing a legal deadline???  Are they allowing a public nuisance on their property ???What does the city of Malibu do? 

City Council members asked that question last night… And the answer is… There is no answer. City staff is working to come up with a proposed ordinance to require clearance of burned out land.

There are 162 property owners … 162 parcels that have not indicated which way they will go. 

 Army National Guard wants an answer from you by Monday.

ARMY DECIDE 71107 

“I highly encourage you to make your election before the end of March. It helps us move faster and clear this debris and continue to support this great community.”

As of last night … there were 162 burned-down properties in Malibu where the owner had yet to notify the government which way they were going. 

That’s 162 out of 700 plus burned down houses … nearly one quarter undecided.

One important factor for property owners, who may still be on the fence: if they sign up for the army program… They are free to pull out at any time. 

But if the property owner opts out and decides to hire their own crews … that decision cannot be reversed after next Monday.

As per progress, making plans for new houses… city officials last night said they have had 123 site verification meetings … at burned down houses in Malibu. 

Eleven homeowners have submitted architectural plans to the city for rebuilds … and four rebuild permits have been approved.  

Those four houseowners are now drawing up construction blueprints … which will need verification and approval by city contract plan checkers.

County Clamps Down On Dust Pollution Rules At Fire Lots

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has just ordered dust control measures on lots where private contractors are brought in.

The county says these measures are essential to protect the health and wellbeing of those involved in fire debris removal and residents in surrounding areas.

Property owners or their contractors must use water out some type of ap[proved gummy spray prevent dust nuisances.

Before removal, all areas of ash and debris must be pre-watered using a fine spray nozzle to prevent splashing.

Once on the truck … Loads must be wetted and covered with a tarp, including concrete and metal debris.

And ash and loose fire debris must be fully encapsulated with 10-mil plastic prior to loading and transport.

Roads have to be cleaned off. 

The worry should be fairly obvious … this stuff is really bad to spread around.

Conrad Complains After Being Told She Is Violating City Code Of Conduct

Malibu city council member Haylynn Conrad was told she had violated the city’s ethics rules last week …. she says she was just trying to help a blind lady.

Conrad is not happy that the mayor and the city manager confronted her.

The issue was the city’s ethics code for city council members.   It does not allow city council members to directly intercede with city staff or volunteers, on behalf of a constituent. 

The rule is there to prevent staff from being pressured by elected officials … who are supposed to set policy and then go to the city manager if there is a problem.

At last night’s city council meeting … Conrad complained that Mayor Doug Stewart and acting city manager Joseph Toney had confronted her on an ethics code violation. 

REPRIMAND 71103

“I was reprimanded by the mayor and the acting city manager not for breaking rules … but for helping a blind senior citizen get a pass at the Santa Monica College Center” … (where the city has an office to issue PCH passes.)

The mayor told her that trying to help a constituent like that appears to be breaking the rules.

Conrad said she was trying to help the lady get a permit … constituent service … at a line for permits.

LINE CONRAD 71104

“Residents were being turned away.  I stepped out of line, and poilitely asked them to honor the schedule that the city had advertised.”

Actually … that was a violation of the rules … says the city manager. 

Malibu’s code of ethics says that city council members shall not intercede on behalf of individual constituents.

Conrad pressed ahead. She was helping a blind lady in a a line … where city volunteers had erroneously closed the building a half hour early. 

PROBLEM SOLVED 71105 

“The woman got her pass. Problem solved. And yet that evening … I received three emails from the acting city manager and the mayor … questioning my conduct.”

Conrad felt this was a major slight … important enough to raise at a city council meeting. 

Mayor Doug Stewart bristled and answered right back. 

He said Conrad was playing the victim. 

STEWART CONRAD 71106

STEWART: “you’re not a victim, in this. You’re not a victim in this.  

“And without getting into the details, this is about violations of the code of conduct, which you agreed to follow, did you not?”

CONRAD: “Oh yeah, I agreed to follow, I didn’t sign anything, but I agreed to follow it.

“But that was not a conduct … there was nothing bad about what I did.”

STEWART: “We offered a chance to have a conversation about this, the code of conduct.

“And this was not the first time that this has occurred, and I think it says in the code of conduct that this is to be addressed by the mayor, which I reluctantly am involved in, the city attorney and the city manager with the council member. 

“And that’s where this belongs to be. 

“And you’re not a victim in this and I think you’ve misrepresented the facts as they were related to me.”

Malibu council members Haylynn Conrad and the mayor Doug Stewart … last night. 

New State Fire Maps Do Not Change Much In Malibu (Yet)

You may be hearing about new fire map that have been released by Calfire for southern California.  They really do not affect Malibu much at all.

Malibu and the Santa Monica mountains were already in very high fire risk zones in the last set of maps… which were released 14 years ago.

In the new maps …  the Pacific Palisades and Malibu remain in the red “very high” zone.

Altadena … which just suffered horrific fire losses … does not appear on the new fire zone maps to be particularly dangerous.

This would appear to make the news maps somewhat worthless.

A Calfire researcher in charge of the maps admits to the LA Times that the new maps cannot fully predict the dynamic spread of wildfire into urban areas. 

The Calfire models only look at vegetation, topology, climate and weather for wildland areas.

Not city areas … 

While Malibu has always been in the most-severe category … the change in maps does mean that some fire codes may have to be tightened.   But again, Malibu has been ahead of the curve on that, city officials have said.