For Immediate Release
January 16, 2015
Contact: Matt Myerhoff, Media Information Officer
mmyerhoff@malibucity.org [mailto:mmyerhoff@malibucity.org]
Cell: 818-293-8962
Land Developer Drops “Trancas Town” Project Lawsuit Against Malibu, Ending Decades-Long Legal Saga
One of the longest and most fiercely fought development battles in Malibu came to an end on Tuesday, January 13 when Trancas PCH, owner of 35 acres in western Malibu, voluntarily dropped its lawsuit against the City over its proposed “Trancas Town” project.
“Closing the book on this development proposal is terrific news for the residents of western Malibu, and ending this series of expensive lawsuits takes a great financial burden off the City’s pocketbook,” said Mayor John Sibert.
"The Trancas property has long been a symbol of Malibu’s fight for local control," said City Attorney Christi Hogin. "Property owners are entitled to reasonable use of their property, but the community fought a long battle for cityhood so that the determination of 'reasonable development' would be made by the people of Malibu, not by the County."
The dispute over Trancas PCH’s proposal to subdivide 35 acres and build 52 condos and 15 homes in mostly rural western Malibu near Pacific Coast Highway just west of Trancas Canyon Rd. dragged through a half dozen lawsuits going back more than 20 years.
The developer had obtained tentative approvals in 1984 from Los Angeles County. After Malibu incorporated in 1991, ?the City took over land use permitting from the County, including the final approvals needed for this subdivision. However, the City was never satisfied that the property owner was legally entitled to final approval from the City.
After Trancas PCH filed several lawsuits, the City Council finally "disapproved" the subdivision in 2003. The current lawsuit challenged the City's action and sought to force the City to accept the County's 1984 development approvals.
The dismissal of the lawsuit effectively means that the County subdivision approval is terminated.
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