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New Zoning Law to Be Explained at Workshop

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Responding to widespread confusion over a new zoning ordinance, Malibu will have a workshop Monday to answer residents’ questions about the law.

City Planning Director Bob Benard told council members Monday that he had encountered a “lot of misinformation” about the interim zoning ordinance at an information fair held over the weekend. The fair was sponsored by a group of residents calling themselves FED-UP, an acronym for Federation of United Property Owners of Malibu.

Benard said he distributed a fact sheet and a question-and-answer sheet to respond to residents’ concerns about the ordinance, which will go into effect March 26.

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The temporary zoning law prohibits the development of new multifamily dwellings and limits the height of new homes to 18 feet. Two-story homes can be built to a height of 28 feet with a city review.

The temporary law replaces a building moratorium that has been in effect since the city incorporated two years ago. The law is intended as a stopgap measure to regulate new development at least until September, when a citizens panel is expected to introduce the city’s General Plan. Without the temporary law, the city’s zoning regulations would have reverted to the more permissive Los Angeles County standards that were in place before incorporation.

The council and Benard re-emphasized Monday that the ordinance can be amended, and they urged residents to bring their concerns to the attention of the council.

The question-and-answer session will be conducted by city staffers starting at 6 p.m. at the Hughes Auditorium, 3011 Malibu Canyon Road.

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