West Malibu Park Plans to Go Back Before City Council

• Some Design Changes Could Occur

BY BILL KOENEKER

The Malibu City Council is scheduled to consider modifications to the design of Trancas Canyon Park at its meeting next week on Tuesday, May 26.
Last month, the council directed the staff to make grading and retaining wall changes for the park for review and directed planners to conduct a public workshop.
“The item is being presented to the council for consideration for three reasons. First, the city council must decide whether it wishes to incorporate some, all or none of the recommended modifications. Second, if the council wishes to make modifications, the council must determine whether the approved project with modifications is in compliance with conditions of approval in Coastal Development Permit No. 07-086 and other related entitlements. Finally, the city council must analyze whether the modifications require any discretionary approvals or preparation of a subsequent or supplemental Environmental Impact Report,” wrote the city’s Associate Planner Joseph Smith, who indicated the costs of the site plan changes would add about another $153,500 to the cost of the $3 million-plus project.
The report goes on to state that the proposed modifications to the approved project do not trigger the need for a supplement or addendum to the certified EIR or any further environmental re-view under the California Environmental Quality Act.
Smith’s staff report also talks about what planners think are the key topics covered in the community design workshop in April, such as reducing the overall size of the park, park components, security and fencing, traffic and access to the park, intensity and hours of park use, water infrastructure and sustainability.
Based on public comments and other input, Smith outlined the proposed modifications to the approved project including reducing grading from a total of 126,528 cubic yards of cut and fill to 77,502 cubic yards of cut and fill.
Other proposed modifications call for the reduction of dog park total area from 1.04 acres to .65 acres, sizing down the group picnic area from 5200 square feet to1500 square feet, taking the plans for the playground area from 10,000 square feet to 7300 square feet, reducing the number of shade structures from seven to three, allowing only eight picnic tables from the approved 24, reducing benches from 17 to 11 and designing a total of 45 parking spaces instead of 64. The basketball half-court would be eliminated.
“No further discretionary approvals would be required to effectuate the proposed modifications to the approved project,” according to Smith.