City Council Acts to Advance Recreational Facilities on City-Owned Lands

On October 28, the Malibu City Council took significant steps to advance recreational facilities on city-owned properties, focusing on ball fields and a potential multigenerational community center as part of the Malibu Community Lands Project. The Council considered the final report on the comprehensive outreach and engagement project that the City has conducted over the last seven months to gather community input and generate ideas and proposals for the future uses of the City's five community lands that span over 61 acres.

On October 28, the Council directed staff to prioritize soccer and baseball/softball fields on the Ioki and Heathercliff parcels, initiating site design and grading work with on-call engineering consultants. Concurrently, the City will issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) to develop a master plan for a multigenerational community center/sports complex. This facility is envisioned to include amenities such as a pool, a gymnasium, a senior center, multipurpose space and a potential expansion of library services, ideally located on the Heathercliff parcel but with flexibility to consider the Ioki site as well.

In addition, the Council authorized staff to work with the developer team of Cross Creek Ranch (formerly La Paz Ranch) to create a conceptual rendering for a performing arts center on the La Paz site, also known as Parcel C. Under a 2023 settlement agreement with Cross Creek Ranch, the City secured planning support at no cost to assist in envisioning future uses for this property. As part of this agreement, the Cross Creek Ranch team will provide up to $100,000 in site planning and preliminary design services using their in-house and external planning resources, at the City's request. This collaboration provides Malibu with unique planning opportunities to serve the community with a versatile and thoughtfully designed performing arts space.

For more information about the Community Lands project, visit the website. For more details, click here, or below, to watch the video of the Council discussion and review the Powerpoint presentation.

BACKGROUND

In 2016 and 2018, the City purchased five vacant parcels of land totaling over 61 acres to preserve the lands as community spaces instead of private developments. Prior to any development decisions, the engagement program aims to foster meaningful dialogue and gather insights on the types of facilities the community prefers.

"This outreach program underscores our commitment to including the needs and views of all of the community," said Mayor Steve Uhring. "By actively involving our residents and all community members, and others, we are ensuring that Malibu remains a vibrant and thriving community for generations to come."

In February 2024, the City partnered with Tripepi Smith, a community engagement firm specializing in local government, to facilitate this initiative. The program's framework, developed in collaboration with the City Council, City commission members and City staff, will guide the execution of various outreach activities. The City anticipates executing the program in two phases: Phase 1 will focus on broad outreach to gather initial feedback from the community, while Phase 2 will build on the input received for more refined feedback to aid in future decision-making processes.

To centralize information and facilitate community participation, the City has launched a dedicated website, MalibuCommunityLands.org. The website will serve as a comprehensive resource, offering background information on the project, guidance for community participation, event calendars, a map pinpointing the community land locations, public input archives, frequently asked questions and avenues for public comments. The City also established a dedicated email address, [email protected], to centralize an ongoing channel for communication with the public.

Stay updated on the progress of the Malibu Community Lands project by following the City's social media channels: Facebook - @CityofMalibu, Instagram - @CityofMalibu, and X/Twitter - @CityMalibu. Sign up for NotifyMe updates via email and/or text: MalibuCity.org/CommunityLandsEnotify.