County Will Send Crews Onto Beachfront Land Without ‘Right Of Entry’ Forms

An emergency motion to have the government enter all private property to remove fire debris was approved by the L A County Board of Supervisors yesterday.

The country can now make a deal with the City of Malibu … to force property owners to let the government enter their property along the ocean … to remove dangerous waste.

The motion is aimed at the beachfront houses in Malibu … where dozens and dozens of houses have owners who have failed to say how they will clear fire debris.

Along the ocean … the debris is still washing into the ocean … with every high tide. 

The Army Corps of Engineers is removing the dangerous stuff … house by house. 

But many homeowners have failed to respond to the government-run Private Property Debris Removal (PPDR) program.

And they have failed to provide any guarantee that they will hire their own crews to do the job … which is their other choice. 

County Supervisor Chair Kathryn Barger said she recognizes the right of property owners to make their own plans.

But she said it is imperative that they make a decision now. 

In a written statement … Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath stated the obvious.

“Every property left uncleared is a threat to safety, the environment, and our ability to recover.”

Once the City of Malibu signs the deal … LA County will in send government crews… including the Army Corps of Engineers … 

Every coastal lot … where structural concerns and ocean pollution pose urgent threats … will get cleared. 

The County will also launch a targeted outreach campaign to connect with displaced property owners.

Countywide … about 10 percent of the landowners in the Eaton and Palisades fires have yet to respond to demands that they make their property available for clearance. 

The Army reports that a checkerboard of houses along the beach have yet to submit either a right of entry .. or a declaration that they have hired a private contractor to do the work. 

That is interfering with the entire job … because often the demolition crews need to move in from the side to effectively clear the wreckage from multiple properties at once. 

The supervisors yesterday gave its staff seven days to prepare a report outlining the County’s strategy to ensure debris is cleared from all properties.

That would include a timeline, abatement process, and outreach plan to notify owners of upcoming enforcement measures if properties remain uncleared.

Metal Pollution In SM Bay Seeping From Malibu Fire Houses

“Every day that hazardous debris remains along the coast, more harmful contaminants flow into the sea.” 

That’s a quote from Tracy Quinn, the president of Heal the Bay.

The water in Santa Monica Bay presents a significant risk to marine life due to massive amounts of pollution washing in from fire damaged Malibu houses. 

Heal The Bay says the extent of the pollution risk is still being tested. 

But early test results show that Santa Monica Bay faces significant risks from metals that leached into the water .

Water samples from 10 locations found elevated levels of chromium, nickel, lead, silver, arsenic, and zinc, among other contaminants. 

Heal the Bay scientists warn that even low concentrations of these metals can disrupt biological processes, damage cells, and harm reproductive and immune functions in marine species. 

Additionally, pollutants can accumulate through the food chain, posing potential risks to humans who consume contaminated seafood.

Vote Expected Today From County Committee, After Its Staff Recommends against Malibu Independence

The LA County advisory committee is scheduled to vote today on the proposed Malibu school district separation. 

One newspaper in Santa Monica says the proposed separate Malibu school district has likely been dealt a fatal blow. 

But Malibu school district boosters are still hoping that a committee of the LA County Education Department will override a highly-critical staff report today.

The vote is scheduled for today … an advisory vote by an LA County committee on whether to recommend whether to split Malibu out of the Santa Monica Malibu school district.

But all is not lost. 

Santa Monica school board members say they support the break-up … under terms of a compromise financial deal reached between Santa Monica and Malibu.

The recommendation from the county is a reaction to the original divorce petition … which has financial terms that are much more severe for Santa Monica. 

And the county board is supposedly able to make a recommendation on either the compromise or the original petition. 

This week’s staff report recommending a no vote can hardly be considered a surprise … given the hostile treatment that Malibu parents have been given at the La County Office of Education.

And the fact that two longtime members of the Santa Monica school board are appointed members of the committee. 

Malibu residents may well be prepared for a letdown. 

In its staff report … the county says the education provided by SMMUSD is … quoting .. “more than adequate.”

The report complains that Malibu has not described a complete prospective educational plan for the new district … even though it admits that state law does not require it. 

The county committee is only allowed to make a recommendation.

Under current law … it will be up to the state Board of Education to make a final decision. 

Coastal Commission Staff Endorses Malibu Rebuilding LCP Changes

Malibu’s proposed changes to the Coastal Commisison’s LCP … because of the fire … has been endorsed by Coastal Commission staff.

In a report issued yesterday ,… the agency says it has been working closely with Malibu to make changes in the LCP … the Local Coastal Program … which is the Coastal Commission’s land use controls that override, the cities zoning ordinances.

  The proposed LCP changes would allow major changes in the coastal rules … to allow reconstruction on the beaches of the city.

For example … cranes and bulldozers could be used on the beach for the first time.

The revised LCP would also give Malibu City Hall major power to approve changes in sewage systems… or driveways and retaining walls … in order for oceanfront houses to be rebuilt. 

The changes have been rushed through the Malibu government process.

And the Commission staff says they have been closely coordinating with the city … to make sure the proposed changes are acceptable. 

The governor has already ordered the Coastal Commission to back off on enforcing the LCP in the fire burnout areas.

Fire Kills Woman In Calabasas Mobile Home

A fire in as mobile home in Calabasas took the life of a young woman .. who was in a wheelchair.

Her name has not been released. 

Sheriff’s homicide detectives are investigating. 

The house was fully engulfed in flames when fire trucks arrived … Monday afternoon.

Neighbors said a single mother and her children had lived in the house … which was in a mobile home park across Mulholland Highway from Viewpoint School. 

Man Killed By Train At Las Posas Road Crossing

A man was killed when his car was hit broadside by a train on Las Posas Road … a route connecting Malibu to shopping centers in Camarillo.

The crash was Monday afternoon.

The man’s Lincoln SUV had been stopped on the railroad tracks at the Fifth Street signal.

A passenger train heading from Oxnard to Los Angeles hit it broadside. 

Trains travle at 70 miles per hour in that area … but it is open fields and the railroad crossing can be spotted from miles away. 

It was the second train versus vehicle crash in a week on the roads between Malibu and the 101 Freeway.

An overpass is under construction at the other crossing … where Highway 1 crosses the tracks. 

But no overpass is planned for the Las Posas Road. 

That is the route through the strawberry fields … between Malibu and the large Home Depot and target stores in Camarillo. 

Caruso Plans To Reopen Palisades Mall Soon, Despite Community Disgust Over His Private Firefighters Who Watched Pali Burn

Developer Rick Caruso plans to reopen s uberswanky mall it he middle of the fire devastation of Pacific Palisades this fall.

Caruso is being cast as a villain by many in Pacific Palisades. 

They criticize the fact that Caruso hired private firefighters to protect the mall … while the rest of the Palisades burned.

One small skateboard shop in the middle of his private property burned down… while on all three sides … the mall was protected.

Caruso defends his use of private firefighters … and denies charges that they used water from city hydrants as water was running out. 

CARUSO MALL 71149

“We protected our property and we also freed up LA fire resources to go protect other properties so we were very much independent and we were also learning our equipment department.

“So, we were very much a part of our community.

“It was the smart decision to do,”

But the sight of Caruso’s private firetrucks guarding his mall … as houses and small businesses surrounding it burned … infuriates many.

The Legislature is considering a bill that would prohibit private firefighting companies from hooking into public fire hydrants. 

Caruso insists that his private protection crews did not tap city of LA water hydrants … but there is no independent confirmation of that … and many Palisades residents believe otherwise. 

The mall developer says reopening the shops in his mall … while the rest of downtown Pacific Palisades is destroyed … is important for his community,. 

But he tells ABC7 that 65 percent of his customers came from outside of the area to shop.

Caruso hopes to have Palisades Village shopping center open early next year.

And while we were preparing this story this morning … a press report wen tout that Rick Caruso was named to be the new president of USC.

Turns out that was a hoax.

High Waves, High Winds, Mediocre High Tide

A high surf advisory … and high wind warnings … are up for the Malibu coast. 

Wind gusts hit 49 miles per hour yesterday at Upper Las Flores Canyon .. and overnight gusts were clocked up to 39 miles per hour. 

Winds gusts of up to 40 miles per hour are possible again this morning. 

Surf is expected to be up to 8 foot waves … but the strong winds will destroy any form.

High tide is at 2:23 at 4.5 feet.