City Leans toward Bluffs Package

• Could Add One Ball Field as Well as a Dog Park

BY BILL KOENEKER

Malibu City Council members had a chance to comment this week on the latest proposal by a developer who has offered to build a ball field and other park amenities next to Bluffs Park in exchange for permits to build five bluff top mansions on what is commonly called the Crummer property.

City Attorney Christi Hogin introduced the potential deal for the 24-acre parcel as an unusual way of doing business for the city, but said she wanted feedback for further negotiations if the council concurred, which it did.

“What are your recreational priorities? We are not locked in,” she said. “I will consider your comments direction to negotiate.”

Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich said she thought a dog park would be a good idea, and also a skate park and/or a soccer field. “I would love to see a teen/senior center. A tot lot may not be necessary, since we are already building one next to the Landon Center,” she added.

Councilmember Ken Kearsley said he opposes moving the skate park up to Bluffs Park.

The idea had originally been posed by John Mazza, who, after the meeting, said he did not believe the city had yet firmed up its skate park since there is a new owner of the property. The city does not own the skate park, its use was donated by the previous property owner.

Kearsley talked about priorities. “My first choice is a dog park. We have everything there for teens and youth. We really need something for a whole different group of people,” he said.

Councilmember Sharon Barovsky wanted to know if the ball field would be too small for soccer play. “I think it has great potential. We need a dog park. As for the skate park, why would we give up what we already have? It would be a net loss,” she added.

Councilmember Andy Stern, without explanation, said he had no comment.

Mayor Jeff Jennings said he had hoped the design could be done differently to extract one more field. “Could you move the entrance road closer to Pacific Coast Highway? I don’t favor moving the skate park. I am not wild about a dog park. It is not a great mix. People bring dogs to the fields already. My major reaction is can you squeeze more space,” he said.

The owner, Richard Ackerman, wants to build five single-family homes on lots varying in size from 2.5 acres to 3.75 acres. The residences would range from 9500 to 11,000 square feet.

At the same time the developer is building the homes he would build one Little League field (not three diamonds as previously reported), create two separate areas for public use, which could be utilized as picnic areas, tot lot and/or a dog park at the city’s option and expand the current Bluffs Park parking lot by adding about 35 additional spaces.

Hogin said the city would require an Environmental Impact Report and told council members although the homes are big they comply with current zoning laws.