Commission Continues Airing on La Paz Center

• Proposed Shopping Mall and Office Complex Could Exceed Size of Malibu Colony Plaza

BY BILL KOENEKER

Given the turnout at last week’s planning commission meeting—there was one speaker who expressed concern about geotechnical issues and a neighbor who complained about a two story section of the proposal—there seem to be few concerns about a proposed 100,000-square-foot Civic Center shopping center.

The planning commission was not expected to take action last week on the two sets of plans for a retail/office complex proposed for the Civic Center property known as La Paz, which is being aired at two separate hearings.

The commission listened to a staff report, heard from the applicant’s consultant, and took public testimony from the sparse public turnout and then continued the hearing until Tuesday, Dec. 18.

Municipal planners agree that they have not seen much opposition to the plans other than from a neighbor.

Other testimony focused on the technical aspects of how the proposed center would handle its treated wastewater discharge.

Commissioners were told the modeling used by the consultants for how much treated effluent could be discharged via evapotranspiration was not viable and that the amount described in the Environmental Impact Report was highly unrealistic.

The plans for the 15.2 acres of vacant land located just east of the public library include nearly 100,000 square feet of commercial development.

The two projects are being proposed simultaneously. Depending upon which configuration is eventually approved, the shopping center complex would be as large or larger than the Malibu Colony Plaza.

So-called Project A entails a development agreement that includes the donation of a 20,000-square-foot space for a city hall with a cash payment to the city toward the construction of new quarters.

The proposed development agreement would require a Local Coastal Program amendment and subsequent approval by the California Coastal Commission for both the development agreement and LCP amendment.

In exchange, the developer would be allowed to build at a 2.0 floor area ratio design that would grant entitlements for a 112,058- square-foot shopping center complex, including retail, restaurant and office space.

Project B is essentially a pared down proposal that includes no development agreement, city hall or any public benefit component. That design proposes a 1.5 FAR project, totaling 99,117 square feet.

The commission could make recommendations for the two proposals, which will be passed on to the city council for consideration. The planning panel cannot approve development agreements or LCP amendments.

The commission could, in theory, approve Project B, the stand-alone project, but that would complicate matters if the council wanted Project A with the development agreement, according to city planners.

Consequently, the commission may make only recommendations for both sets of plans and pass the proposals on to the city council for consideration of approval.

It is anticipated that the commission will recommend both projects, and the city council will do the same.

If the matter goes to the CCC because the council approves the development agreement and LCP amendment (both must be certified by the coastal panel), the developer would have a fall-back position in case of rejection or unacceptable revision of the agreement or LCP amendment, according to municipal officials.