SMMUSD Approves $225,760 for 'Soft Costs' Associated with MHS Field Lighting

• Community Fundraising Planned to Help Cover Portion of Final Project Cost Currently Estimated at $665,000

BY SUZANNE GULDIMANN

The controversial Malibu High School field lighting plan took another step forward last Thursday, when the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education approved without comment a consent item authorizing a budget of $225,760 to pay for the estimated "soft costs" of installing permanent field lighting at the Malibu High School athletic field.

According to the staff report, the soft costs include "design, CEQA, project management, and agency fees."

"The total project costs, including the soft costs and hard costs, are estimated to be $665,000," the report states. "A subsequent board item will be submitted requesting a budget allocation for the hard costs at a future meeting. A more accurate estimate of the hard costs will be prepared after the planning and design is complete," the report states. A fundraising organization is reportedly being organized in Malibu to finance the hard costs of installation, which the staff currently estimates at approximately $436,520.

The board also approved an additional $44, 886 for Atkins North America, Inc. to pay for "additional services to prepare an addendum to the approved Mitigated Negative Declaration  for the proposed Stadium Lighting project at Malibu."

"On July 1, 2009 the board of education adopted Resolution 8-49, finding that the mitigated Malibu High School Football Lighting Project will not have a significant effect on the environment, adopting the Proposed Project MND, and approved the project," the report states.

"The approved MND was based on the analysis of a temporary lighting system. However, in October of 2009 the California Coastal Commission did not approve an amendment to an existing CCC permit that would have allowed the use of temporary lighting at the site.

"Their reason for the disapproval was that the approved Malibu Local Coastal Plan did not allow the lighting.

"On Oct. 5, 2011, the California Coastal Commission approved an amendment to the Malibu Local Coastal Plan, presented by the City of Malibu, allowing lighting at the Malibu High School athletic field. The project being proposed is to install permanent lighting at the athletic field.

"The California Environmental Quality Act, Section 15164 requires that the differences between the approved project (temporary lights) and the proposed project (permanent lights) must be analyzed and any new impacts not addressed in the approved MND must be mitigated.

Atkins will "complete an analysis of all 17 CEQA issues analyzed in the approved MND, and prepare an addendum to the approved MND," the report states.

"If the completed analysis determines that the proposed project introduces new impacts and mitigations not addressed in the approved MND, a supplemental MND process would be required to allow public review and comment on the new impacts and mitigations."

"On July 1, 2009, the Board of Education adopted Resolution 8-49, finding that the mitigated Malibu High School Football Lighting Project will not have a significant effect on the environment, adopting the Proposed Project MND, and approved the Project. The approved MND was based on the analysis of a temporary lighting system.

"However, in October of 2009 the California Coastal Commission did not approve an amendment to an existing CCC permit that would have allowed the use of temporary lighting at the site. Their reason for the disapproval was that the approved Malibu Local Coastal Plan (LCP) did not allow the lighting.

On Oct. 5, 2011, the California Coastal Commission approved an amendment to the Malibu Local Coastal Plan, presented by the City of Malibu, allowing lighting at the Malibu High School athletic field. The project being proposed is to install permanent lighting at the athletic field. The California Environmental Quality Act, Section 15164 requires that the differences between the approved Project (temporary lights) and the proposed project (permanent lights) must be analyzed and any new impacts not addressed in the approved MND must be mitigated. Contract Amendment #22 is for Atkins to complete an analysis of all 17 CEQA issues analyzed in the approved MND, and prepare an Addendum to the approved MND.

If the completed analysis determines that the proposed project introduces new impacts and mitigations, not addressed in the approved MND, a supplemental MND process would be required to allow public review and comment on the new impacts and mitigations."

Before the lights can be installed, the district must apply for and receive a Conditional Use Permit from the City of Malibu and develop an avian monitoring program required by the California Coastal Commission.

 If the CUP is received, the lights will be subject to restrictions imposed by the CCC in an attempt to mitigate what the coastal panel acknowledged will be a "negative impact" from increased light pollution.

The SMMUSD's field lighting plan for Malibu High  School has been a highly divisive issue in the City of Malibu, pitting residents and environmental activists against sports enthusiasts.

The CCC agreed with activists that the plan as proposed first by the school distract and then by the City of Malibu would have the potential to negatively impact resident and migratory birds and imposed limits to the number and frequency of nights the school will be permitted to use the lights, provided the funding and the city permits are secured.