Most residents in Malibu have little idea that a enormous new retail mall/ of- fice building is poised to be built in the heart of Malibu, the Civic Center. The “La Paz” project was approved in 2008 under the previous pro-development City Council.
LaPaz will be larger than the Ralphs Colony Center at Webb Way and PCH. It was originally a combination of retail stores, restaurants and offices. Suddenly this project could potentially become even larger with changes potentially being made to usage.
The Malibu City Council, put forth by Mayor Skylar Peak and Pro-tem Rick Mullen, will consider at the next city council meeting trading City development rights on a City owned parcel.
This Council action would allow LaPaz to change their plans and to expand their mall development by an additional 10,000’ of restaurants. This violates the original development agreement and exceeds the City’s parking requirements.
The Malibu Coastal Plan allows development of up to 20 percent of a commercial parcel if public amenities are provided in the Civic Center. If the council allows this swap it would exceed the limits set by Malibu’s LCP. It would invalidate the originating Environmental Impact Report, along with the traffic study, and in addition it violates critical parking requirements. This attempts to circumvent the Planning Commission and the public as it increases density in the Civic Center in what appears to be a move potentially made behind closed doors.
This move violates the Malibu’s LCP of .20 maximum development and our slow growth new council could be setting a dangerous precedent of over develop- ment of the Civic Center and violating the intent of Measure R.
