Malibu : Building Ban Exemptions

The City Council this week approved exemptions to the city’s building moratorium for at least 150 additional single-family homes.

Over the objections of council members Walt Keller and Carolyn Van Horn, the new ordinance will allow builders to proceed with construction if they have already received approval for their projects from Los Angeles County and the Coastal Commission.

Under the new ordinance, those granted exemptions would still be restricted to a maximum of 5,000 cubic yards of grading and a height limit of 35 feet. Houses would not be permitted to cover more than 35% of their lot except on beachfront properties.

Opponents, including Keller and Van Horn, said the exemptions violated the slow-growth principal that cityhood was founded on. They cited environmental concerns and lack of any view protection.

To allay those concerns, Councilman Mike Caggiano offered an amendment that will delay the start of construction on all the houses until at least Jan. 15. The delay will give the council a chance to incorporate any new building code provisions now under consideration.