An initiative is taking shape to give Malibu residents a voice in future large development projects, but organizers are already running up against deadlines to make it on the ballot for the November election.
To get the initiative before voters, organizers would have to get enough signatures by June 18, according to Malibu City Clerk Lisa Pope.
"That allows the appropriate time for arguments," Pope said, adding that the city would still have to ask Los Angeles County if the city could consolidate with the November election.
If the county says no, then the city would have to pick up the tab for a concurrent election to the tune of $30,000 to $40,000, and voters would have to turn in two separate ballots, Pope said.
California state law allows the voters to petition to put an initiative on the ballot, but they need the support of 10 percent of registered voters, according to Malibu's City Attorney Christi Hogin. That could mean as many as 950 signatures.
"The city council has the option of placing an item before the voters," Hogin said, adding that the council would need three out of the five votes to take that action.
According to Pope, the City Council would have until Aug. 10 to introduce and adopt an ordinance in order to allow time for the initiative to make the November ballot. She added that the city would still have to get special permission from the county to get on the November ballot.
Activists and other concerned Malibu residents, including Preserve Malibu, have been meeting over the past few weeks to craft the initiative, which will likely be similar to Measure P, known as the Malibu Right to Vote On Development Initiative.
The original Measure P sought to give residents the right to vote on proposed projects with more than 25,000 square feet if they require a variance, a conditional use permit or exceeds the density of zoning limitations, or permits construction or widening of a public roadway.
The movement takes aim at more than 1 million square feet of proposed development in Malibu's Civic Center.
"There is a consensus building with the residents if you put all these projects in the Civic Center, you are basically putting a parking lot in there," said Steve Uhring, a Malibu activist who has been active with the recently formed group Preserve Malibu.
Uhring said he hopes the council opts to put the initiative on the ballot. He said the measure will address three main concerns that have emerged with the large number of planned projects in Malibu's Civic Center:
- The ballot initiative will keep the residents engaged and make sure they know what is going on.
- Requiring citizens approval will result in better development projects. Developers will need to listen and respond to the needs of the residents.
- The proponents of the measure will be able to get the needed number of signatures to get it on an election. Placing it on the November election will save the city money.
Separately, Malibu Mayor Laura Zahn Rosenthal and Councilwoman Joan House have been working to put together a public meeting on how to retire commercial land in Malibu’s Civic Center.
“We mentioned when we did our ad hoc meeting we would do one like this and see if we could get some creative ideas from the community,” Rosenthal said.
A potential meeting date could be announced by June 25, she said.
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