Malibu Municipal Code Title GP General Plan

ATTACHMENTS

Attachment 1 - Appendix B - Land Use Maps[Figure]Attachment 2 - Appendix B - Open Space Maps[Figure]Attachment 3 - Appendix B - Conservation Element Maps[Figure]Attachment 4 - Appendix - Circulation and Infrastructure Element Maps[Figure]Attachment 5 - Appendix - Safety Element Maps and Figures[Figure]Attachment 6 - Appendix - Noise Element Maps and Figures[Figure]Attachment 7 - Appendix A - Evaluation of the Previous Housing Element[Figure]Attachment 8 - Appendix B - Residential Land Inventory[Figure]Attachment 9 - Appendix C - Public Participation Summary[Figure]Attachment 10 - Appendix D - List of Acronyms[Figure]

Section I. Introduction

I.0. Vision and Mission Statements.

The General Plan Vision and Mission statements were prepared by the General Plan Task Force and subsequently adopted by the City Council prior to the development of the goals, objectives, policies and implementation programs by the General Plan Task Force and the City's planning consulting team. The statements guide the formation of programs and policies that are included in the General Plan.

Vision Statement—Malibu is a unique land and marine environment and residential community whose citizens have historically evidenced a commitment to sacrifice urban and suburban conveniences in order to protect that environment and lifestyle, and to preserve unaltered natural resources and rural characteristics. The people of Malibu are a responsible custodian of the area's natural resources for present and future generations.

Mission Statement—Malibu is committed to ensure the physical and biological integrity of its environment through the development of land use programs and decisions, to protect the public and private health, safety and general welfare.

Malibu will plan to preserve its natural and cultural resources, which include the ocean, marine life, tide pools, beaches, creeks, canyons, hills, mountains, ridges, views, wildlife and plant life, open spaces, archaeological, paleontological and historic sites, as well as other resources that contribute to Malibu's special natural and rural setting.

Malibu will maintain its rural character by establishing programs and policies that avoid suburbanization and commercialization of its natural and cultural resources.

Malibu will gradually recycle areas of deteriorated commercial development that detract from the public benefits or deteriorate the public values of its natural, cultural and rural resources.

Malibu will provide passive, coastal-dependent and resource-dependent visitor-serving recreational opportunities (at proper times, places and manners) that remain subordinate to their natural, cultural and rural setting, and which are consistent with the fragility of the natural resources of the area, the proximity of the access to residential uses, the need to protect the privacy of property owners, the aesthetic values of the area, and the capacity of the area to sustain particular levels of use.

I.1. Introduction to the City.

The City of Malibu is located along the Pacific Ocean northwest of the City of Los Angeles. Malibu is generally bounded on the north by the Santa Monica Mountains, on the east by Topanga Canyon, on the west by Ventura County and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. Malibu was incorporated on March 28, 1991.

The Malibu area was settled in the 1890s by the Rindge Family who owned the Rancho Topanga Malibu Sequit, a large ranch. Its remote location between the ocean and the mountains led to the current small-town residential community development pattern. Malibu has remained a primarily residential community. Commercial areas are limited to small neighborhood serving and visitor serving uses interspersed throughout the City, but located primarily in the Civic Center area and the Point Dume area.

Prior to incorporation, the County of Los Angeles dictated development policies in the area. Many of the newer cities in Los Angeles County have experienced phenomenal growth in the past few decades. Although Malibu too experienced growth, the growth was nothing like the growth of other cities in the northern Los Angeles County. The citizens of Malibu, recognizing the need to protect the unique natural resources of the area and retain the rural feeling, attempted to secure local control over growth through cityhood several times over the past three decades.

I.2. The General Plan.

The City of Malibu is seeking to guide development in ways that reflect the aspirations of its residents and meet their needs. The General Plan serves as the major tool for directing growth while maintaining an attractive, viable and safe environment. It outlines a vision of what the City should be and establishes policies to achieve the objectives.

The General Plan of the City of Malibu represents the efforts of the citizens of Malibu, the General Plan Task Force (GPTF), several citizen study groups, City staff and the City Council to plan for the physical development of the City.

The City of Malibu General Plan provides an analysis of existing conditions in the City, including physical, social, cultural and environmental resources and opportunities. It looks at trends, issues and concerns that effect the region and provides policies to guide development and change by identifying common goals, objectives and programs. Because changes are not wholly predictable, updates and revisions will be undertaken periodically to keep the General Plan valid and relevant to the needs of the City.

Sections 65300-65403 and 65581-65589 of the California Government Code require each city to prepare and adopt a general plan for the physical development of the City. State law mandates the development of seven elements. These elements must form an integrated and consistent statement of the goals and programs of the City.

The Draft Malibu General Plan contains the following seven state-mandated elements:

All of these elements, taken together, establish a comprehensive plan, setting forth a consistent guide to future development in the City. All development plans, zoning and subdivision ordinances, coastal development permits and conditional use permits of the City are required to be consistent with the General Plan.

In addition, the General Plan relates to several requirements of the California Coastal Act; Appendix B to this General Plan provides a cross-reference of General Plan goals, objectives, policies and implementation measures that directly relate to requirements of the Coastal Act.

I.3. The Planning Process.

The Draft General Plan is intended to be a reflection of the needs and goals of residents, property owners, the business community, and others who have an interest in the City of Malibu. In order to ensure a wide variety of public input and a truly representative plan, public participation was encouraged through the planning process. Citizen participation was invited during all phases of the plan preparation with notices, newsletters, and news articles made at each step of the plan.

The General Plan Task Force (GPTF) was appointed by the City Council to guide the preparation of the Draft General Plan. Although membership of the GPTF changed over time, during the preparation of the Draft General Plan in 1992-93, the 23 members of the GPTF represented all sectors of the community and different neighborhoods in the City. A cross-section of residents served on the GPTF to ensure that all concerns were represented in the opinions and preferences expressed. The GPTF identified the major issues and concerns facing the City and subsequently drafted goals, objectives, policies, and implementation measures as well as a draft Land Use Policy Map. Citizen issues and concerns were gathered through public meetings, public comment and participation in regularly scheduled GPTF meetings, workshops, neighborhood meetings, and written input. The concerns were addressed during the formulation of the goals, objectives and policies.

A series of 13 neighborhood meetings conducted throughout the community by the GPTF in the spring and summer of 1991, attended by over 500 persons, identified the initial issues, concerns and preferences of the community. A community survey interview was conducted in March, 1992 by the City's planning consulting team's public participation specialists—Moore, Iacofano and Goltsman (MIG)—and gathered more detailed and focused citizen concerns regarding each general plan element. MIG surveyed 15 people from the community, including City Council members, GPTF members, and members from the community chosen by the City Council. The citizens in both interview processes were asked to express their views on planning issues and the future of Malibu.

A town hall meeting was held on May 27, 1992 by the City's planning consultant to explain the General Plan process to residents and interested individuals. An explanatory document and opinion poll was distributed to participants. Subsequently, a series of three community workshops were held on June 3, 4 and 6, 1992 to identify specific issues to be addressed in the General Plan and suggestions for possible solutions to perceived deficiencies.

In October, 1992 a mail-in survey was distributed to over 6,000 Malibu households and property owners, which was followed by a second series of neighborhood meetings held October 24-25, 1992. A second series of workshops were held in August, 1993 to present the GPTF's preliminary set of draft goals, objectives, policies and implementation measures and to obtain both oral and written comments from the public. The GPTF's Draft Goals, Objectives, Policies and Implementation Programs and the Land Use Policy Map were then amended and finalized. In order to assure internal consistency and legal conformance of the Draft Goals, Objectives, Policies and Implementation Programs, a GPTF subcommittee participated with the consultant, their legal subconsultant and City Planning Department staff in a concentrated review of the GPTF's finalized draft document prior to submission to the City Council. The draft was then transmitted to the City Council and the Council held an additional 55 public hearings to receive public input on the document. The Draft General Plan was revised pursuant to City Council direction after these hearings and the official Draft General Plan was then prepared and released.

Section II. Elements of the General Plan