Council to Hear Trancas Condo Plans

• City Planning Commission Vetoed LCP Zoning Request

BY BILL KOENEKER

A controversial proposal that would include creating an open space buffer in an area next to where condominiums would be built along Trancas Canyon Road is scheduled to be heard by the Malibu City Council next week. The request was recently denied by the planning commission.
The planning panel unanimously recommended the council deny a request for a Local Coastal Program amendment that would designate currently zoned RR-5 land to public open space and multifamily dwellings for a vacant 35-acre parcel.
The commissioners, instead, recommended the city council direct the applicant to return with an Environmental Impact Report detailing specifics of the project.
West Malibu and Malibu West residents have expressed opposition to the proposed zone changes and argue the developer should only be allowed to build the seven homes zoned for the property.
Various owners attempting to develop the property have sought to build condos on the land, seeking up to 30 to 40 units.
The price differential could be significant, with some observers suggesting the total revenue from such an endeavor could amount to $60 million dollars or more, compared to seven homes, which might garner $25 million or less.
This is not the first development scheme offered. The property has been the focus of other zoning change proposals and a proposed development agreement between the developer and the city that fell apart after litigation.
An indicator of how high the stakes are for the developer, some commissioners indicated they got phone calls from former Gov. Gray Davis, who tried to lobby them on behalf of the applicant’s proposal.