MALIBU, CA — As officials ready to build a host of improvements at Lechuza Beach, one sticking point remains: A planned public restroom that the city nixed over concerns it would foul coastal views.
The Malibu Planning Commission in April approved nearly the entirety of the project, which includes accessibility improvements to gates, pathways and signs; improved fire department access; a new disabled parking space and the reconstruction of an existing viewing platform and staircases.
But plans by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority — which owns the beach — to build a restroom and on-site wastewater treatment system were rejected by the commission. That prompted the MRCA to file an appeal with the California Coastal Commission, which is set to decide the restroom’s fate at a Sept. 13 meeting.
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The Malibu commission found that “even though the proposed restroom would enhance public access at Lechuza Beach, it is located on a coastal bluff and would result in adverse impacts to public views, and that these impacts are not outweighed by the provision of a restroom facility.”
The Coastal Commission’s staff is recommending that the body find “substantial issues exist” with the city’s decision and take jurisdiction of the permit from Malibu.
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“The city’s findings consist primarily of conclusions with minimal analysis and do not address the specific visual impacts relative to the siting of the restroom facility to support its conclusion,” reads a commission report.
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Instead, the commission staff said Malibu should have conducted an in-depth analysis to minimize the visual impact of the restroom rather than eliminating an “essential” public amenity.
The disagreement comes after the Lechuza Beach improvement project was on hold for several years due to litigation filed by the adjacent Malibu Encinal Homeowners Association over concerns of access, easements and use of the beach. A 2018 settlement included the necessary easements, according to the Coastal Commission.
And last year, the MRCA and city were involved in a dustup over beach public access signs at Lechuza. The city removed the MRCA-installed signs saying they were illegal, prompting the agency to take to social media to quip ‘don’t you wish you could find all of Malibu’s ‘secret’ public beaches? We do too!”
The Coastal Commission is set to hear the Lechuza Beach matter on Sept. 13 in Monterey. Members of the public may participate remotely. More information is available on the commission’s website.
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