Advisory View Protection Measure Goes to a Vote

• Action Is Seen as Way to Appease Growing Call for Municipal View Role

BY BILL KOENEKER

Without comment or discussion, the Malibu City Council last week unanimously approved placing an advisory question before municipal voters on the April, 2008 ballot that inquires whether they would favor adopting an ordinance that would require the removal or trimming of landscaping to restore and maintain primary views from residences.

No one knows if strong proactive views on the hot topic of involving municipal government in restoring views is held by a majority of the electorate, and the council indicated that the advisory measure is considered a way to gauge the pulse of the voters.

The council recently adopted an ordinance exclusive to the Malibu Country Estates area that addresses view protection, and was told at that time by vocal residents of other neighborhoods that view protection should be made citywide.

An advisory measure is a question that is placed on the ballot for the purpose of allowing voters to voice their opinions on substantive issues or to indicate to the legislative body approval or disapproval of the ballot proposal.

The measure will not bind the city council to any specific course of action, but can provide the council with a sense of local sentiment on an issue.

Unimpeded ocean and mountain views can translate into hundreds of thousands of dollars in property values and their loss or impairment as areas mature or are developed have caused some residents to clamor for the city to get involved in their protection, while prevailing council opinion has been that differences should be addressed privately.