Malibu's Preferred Spot for Sewer Requires Coastal Commission's OK

Malibu is on a tight schedule to put in a sewer by 2015, and the potential spot it is eying for the proposed Civic Center Wastewater Treatment Facility would require involvement from the California Coastal Commission.

The potential four-acre site in Winter Canyon is located between Civic Center Way, Pacific Coast Highway and southwest of Vista Pacifica Street. The area is made up of several privately owned properties and an undeveloped city right-of-way, according to a city of Malibu staff report.

There's one snag in the city's plans. The site is designated as commercial visitor serving in the city Local Coastal Program (LCP) and zoning maps. This kind of change to a commercial visitor-serving designation in the LCP requires Coastal Commission approval. Commercial visitor-serving is the commission's most preferred designation.

City staff is preparing a resolution to begin the process of a LIP and LCP amendment to bring to the Malibu City Council at its June 24 meeting at Malibu City Hall.

If the city council agrees to move forward, a hearing would be scheduled before the planning commission, following by a presentation to the city council and an application to the California Coastal Commission.

In August of 2011, the City of Malibu and the Regional Water Quality Board entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that mandated the city meet strict timelines to ensure that progress is being made on the design and construction of the sewer.

The commercial properties within the Civic Center, which are in Phase 1, are required to connect to a central wastewater facility by 2015. The residential properties, which are in Phase 2, are required to connect by 2019.