Malibu Wins Round on Building Permits

Malibu cityhood advocates won another round in the Legislature late Thursday when the Assembly gave final passage to a measure that, beginning in early December, would ban Los Angeles County from issuing new building permits in the seaside community.

Malibu is scheduled to incorporate as a city in March. The bill is aimed at preventing the approval of a flurry of building permits while the community remains under county control.

The bill by Assemblyman Jim Costa (D-Fresno) joins a related legislative measure pending before Gov. George Deukmejian that would allow Malibu’s incorporation to take effect immediately. The city then would control the issuance of building permits.

In the event Deukmejian rejects the incorporation bill, cityhood supporters hope Costa’s measure will be signed into law as a “backstop” to prevent a rush of last-minute building permits from being approved by the county.

In addition to barring the county from issuing building permits in Malibu after Dec. 3, the Costa measure also invalidates county-issued permits once cityhood becomes effective.

“If there’s an outstanding permit, it’s invalid on the date the city incorporates,” said one legislative staffer.

However, the new city would have the option of extending any permits issued by the county.

Malibu residents overwhelmingly approved cityhood in June, but county officials had the incorporation date delayed until March because of a dispute over development of a sewer system for the community. County officials want to proceed with the sewer development before the new Malibu City Council can take office and block it.

Mike Caggiano, a member of the City Council elected in June by Malibu voters, said the Costa bill “is not aimed at any particular (building) project. . . . There are many large projects in the pipeline.”

Ed Biddlecomb, assistant superintendent of the county’s Building and Safety Division, acknowledged that there has “been quite a bit of activity” recently in Malibu for building permit applications. He said he expects more permits to be issued in 1990 than last year.

Biddlecomb said he was unaware of the Costa legislation, but he added that if it becomes law, he anticipates problems in determining whether to invalidate permits that have been issued but on which work has not begun.