Exercise your right to
VOTE
The Malibu Times The Malibu Times NEWS PA PER • MAGAZ I NE • O NL I NE
NEW S PAPER • MAGAZINE •ONLINE Southern Outdoor California watering Edison holds restrictions town hall cause panic Malibu’s Award-Winning Community Paper Since 1946
VOL. LXXV • NO. LVII
Bloodmoon Rises Over Malibu THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2022
on power shutoffs
Local water agency addresses the concerns of property owners
Utility says cutting power is its tool of last resort in mitigating wildfires By JUDY ABEL Special to The Malibu Times
To many, Thanksgiving in Malibu 2021 may go down in the books as one of the most miserable ever. While thousands of residents were busy cooking Wednesday night before the planned holiday feasts, Southern California Edison (SCE) cut off the power supply to reduce the threat of a wildfire. This while Malibu was still reeling from the Woolsey Fire. The 2021 Thanksgiving in the dark lasted three days. “We know that these outages are painful,” SCE’s David Ford, Government Relations Manager of Public Affairs, said while speaking at a virtual presentation on Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) on May 10. “We’ve heard your concerns. We’re committed to reducing the need of PSPS outages.” In its presentation, SCE outlined the many improvements it’s made hardening its power supply system while also reminding of last year’s continuing extreme wildfires across the state. “We’re seeing there really is no fire season,” said SCE’s Christine Fanous. “It’s year-round.” Fanous explained six of the seven largest wildfires in California have all happened in the past two years. The past decade has seen a steep climb in California brush fires. “At SCE we’re dedicated to the communities we serve. We’re not just employees,” she said. “We also live in these communities. We have a vested interest in keeping our communities safe.” As Managing Director of Transmission and Distribution, Fanous presented SCE’s mitigation plan to make the electrical grid more resilient in high fire zones. The company is hardening the system by replacing bare wire with insulated wire, 1,500 miles of which were installed last year. The company calls it one of the most protective measures to prevent potential sparking from objects CONTINUED ON PAGE A8
By JUDY ABEL Special to The Malibu Times
Property owners in the Santa Monica Mountains and nearby communities worried about the upcoming mandate severely restricting outdoor water usage were given answers and tips on how to comply at a town hall organized by the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD). Legitimate concerns about brown lawns and brush dry hillsides in fire-prone areas prompted more than 1,000 homeowners to attend LVMWD's virtual meeting May 11. LVMWD General Manager David Pedersen explained the water agency has no choice but to follow the Metropolitan Water District’s mandate starting June 1 that limits outdoor watering to just one day a week. Metropolitan Water District (MWD) supplies LVMWD. It’s faced with a threeyear-long drought on the heels The Total Lunar Eclipse took place in Malibu over Malibu Colony Beach beach on Sunday, May 15, starting at 7:42 p.m. and ending at 11:50 p.m. The total duration was 4 hours and 8 minutes, with the of another historic drought from maximum total eclipse taking place at 9:11 p.m. Photo by Julie Ellerton/TMT. See more photos on page A8.
CONTINUED ON PAGE A5
Council denies two coastal development permits
INSIDE
Residents in opposition of the variances described the project as ‘invasive and irresponsible’ By SAMANTHA BRAVO Of The Malibu Times
During the Malibu City Council in-person meeting on Monday, May 9, two coastal development permits were denied due to their extensive variances. The proposed project, which has been in development for nearly six years, and on the Planning Commission's radar since 2018, involves the construction of a new single-family residence and various exterior improvements. Based on the evidence, the proposed project is not consistent with the Malibu Municipal Code and Local Coastal Program. The project descriptions include
a new 2,825-square-foot, two-story, single-family residence, including a 483-square-foot attached two-car garage, rooftop deck, swimming pool, spa and associated equipment, barbeque, outdoor fireplace, retaining walls, hardscaping, grading, and installation of a new alternative onsite wastewater treatment system. The Planning Commission denied the proposed project on Oct. 4, 2021 and adopted Planning Commission Resolution No. 2106. The applicant presented redesigned options that included the potential use of parking lifts but was denied by the fire department, being told that the access is too steep. During that October meeting, 14 residents spoke in opposition to the development. The objecting residents described the project as
this week
Rendering of the proposed residence on the Malibu Bluffs: The design was submitted last October on May 9 at the City Council meeting. The permit was denied. Contributed photo
unfettered, unprecedented, invasive, and irresponsible. Residents and their attorneys expressed their concerns on the location and its variances. “What they’re proposing is way too large for this space,” Attorney David Rosen said. “Try making stuff smaller. What they’re trying to do is push the limits as far as they possibly can and they’re pushing it well beyond what are acceptable limits.”
Rosen addressed the steep and unstable road and said the developers should create something residents can support. “If the developers stop shooting for the moon and try to be reasonable and come up with something that works, there’s use for the property,” Rosen said. “If there’s something reasonable, the community might get behind it.” Rosen spoke again at the in-perCONTINUED ON PAGE A7
Last minute postponement of prisoner transfer at Camp Kilpatrick Resident pushback delays the transfer of high-risk prisoners to facility just outside Malibu have influenced the Los Angeles County Probation Department in a last-minute change of plans. Vocal opposition to moving The first of 150 juveniles confelony youth offenders to Camp victed of violent crimes, including Kilpatrick just outside Malibu may rape and murder, were to have been By JUDY ABEL Special to The Malibu Times
malibutimes.com • $.50 • WEEKLY
transferred May 1 from the county’s main juvenile detention center to the less secure facility at Camp Kilpatrick on Encinal Canyon Road in the hills above Malibu. It appears resident blowback and un-
completed security enhancements had an impact on the last-minute decision to postpone the transfers. Due to the state’s dissolution next year of its youth prisons under the Division of Juvenile Justice,
counties are now responsible for housing and rehabilitating youth offenders, including those who remain in the system until age 25. Los Angeles County youth CONTINUED ON PAGE A4
David Torrence Legacy Foundation donates Equipment to young runners | B1
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . A2 News Briefs . . . . . . . . A3 • Vehicle vs. motorcycle crash leaves one person dead near Leo Carrillo State Beach Calendar . . . . . . . . . . A4 Local News . . . . . . A5, A6 • Malibu High School students give back Real Estate . . . . . . A7, A8 • Realtors invest in community educational organizations Malibu Life . . . . . . . . B1 • Inspiring women to get involved one race at a time Malibu People . . . . . . B2 • Pat Benatar to Rock the Hall of Fame Community . . . . . . . . B3 Legal Notices . . . . . . . B4 Business & Directory . . B7 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . B7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . B10 • Waves women’s golfer Gomez, coach Gibbs nab WCC Awards