Neighbors, Surfers Cry Foul Over Planned New Home on Malibu Road

Plans for a new two-story home on Malibu Road are coming under fire from neighbors and surfers who claim the proposed residence will block views and public access at a popular surfing spot known as the Colony.

The Malibu Planning Commission will consider a coastal development permit and variance for the proposed 4,277-square-foot home at 24024 Malibu Road at its Dec. 3 meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Malibu City Hall. City staff have recommended approval for the project.

The plans call for a two-car garage, concrete bulkhead, staircase to the beach, swimming pool and spa, view corridors and the installation of an alternative onsite wastewater treatment system, according to city documents.

The property, which is currently vacant and only houses a fence, guardrail and concrete retaining wall, is owned by Ardie and Tania Tavangarian. The couple drew criticism from some of their Pacific Palisades neighbors in 2005 for planting a Tuscan-style vineyard on their property, according to the Palisadian-Post.

In Malibu, some of the couple's neighbors are concerned that the proposed two-story home may compromise the stability of the slope and disrupt their views.

The vacant property offers a rare, unobstructed view of the ocean that is otherwise blocked by miles of beachfront homes along other parts of Malibu Road.

According to a petition started by Malibu resident Oliver Damavandi, the home will block a public viewing area and access area to the popular surf spot known as the Colony. The property is within feet of public access way that is recorded with the State Coastal Conservancy.

"As proposed, the safety and security of this land and beach are not being met. Beach goers will have difficulty accessing the beach and surfers will no longer be able to check the waves," the petition states.

The petition had been signed by 36 people as of Friday night.

City staff wrote in a Commission Agenda Report prepared on Nov. 21 that story poles, which are meant to show the visual impact of a project, were put up in 2011. The poles have since been taken down.

"Staff determined that the proposed residence would result in a less than significant visual impact to public areas of the beach and road," the report states.

The retaining wall was constructed on the property by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works in 1987 in response to a landslide.

The project requires one variance because of the steepness of the slope leading from Malibu Road to the beach. The slope was made during the construction of Malibu Road, according to the report.

The Tavangarians have offered to dedicate a lateral public access along the shore, the report states.