City Council Unanimously Approves Lighting Code Change for MHS Activities

• LCP Amendment Goes to CCC

BY SUZANNE GULDIMANN

The Malibu City Council voted unanimously at its April 12 meeting to adopt an ordinance that would amend the City of Malibu’s municipal code and Local Coastal Program to permit athletic field lighting at Malibu High School. However, the LCP amendment must be approved by the California Coastal Commission before the ordinance can take effect.

The ordinance specifies “limited lighting of the main sports field at public high schools during Pacific Standard Time until 7:30 p.m., except that for 18 days in any 12-month period, [lighting may be used] up to 10:30 p.m.”

The school district would be required to apply for and abide by a conditional use permit before deploying lighting on the field.

Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich continued to push the council to leave the number of nights open-ended, expressing concern that future generations would suffer due to the restrictions, but she failed to convince the rest of the council.

“I would love to,” Mayor Sharon Barovsky said, reminding the council that the LCP amendment required Coastal Commission approval, “but it would be a death sentence for lighting.”

“No restrictions would be great,” Malibu High School principal Mark Kelly said, called to the podium to comment on the issue, “but this would work for us.”

“I want to see the kids out there playing,” Councilmember  Andy Stern said. He described Conley Ulich’s proposal as a “dead end.”

The council agreed that the ordinance “meets the requirements of the LCP” and voted unanimously to endorse the ordinance as written, pending Coastal Commission approval.