Careful Where You Leave Your Car In Malibu This Summer

MALIBU, CA — Careful where you leave your car in Malibu this summer: Your parking ticket may have just been upgraded to a tow.

The Malibu City Council on May 9 approved a tow lot to be used on weekends during the day to increase the city's ability to impound illegally parked cars.

The city began using the lot on Monday and will discontinue its use on Oct. 3. The impound yard will not automatically return next summer.

The lot, located at the intersection of Heathercliff Road and Pacific Coast Highway, will temporarily house cars parked illegally during the day, according to the city. If cars are not claimed before the end of the day, they will be transferred to a tow yard in Thousand Oaks.

"Vehicles parked illegally in front of fire hydrants, in traffic lanes, and blocking driveways impacts public safety, traffic mobility and the quality of life of the community," the city said in a news release.

On a busy weekend, the lot could hold up to 40 cars, Malibu staff said at an April 25 council meeting.

Councilmembers and public speakers addressed public safety and wildfire concerns as key reasons for the impound yard's urgency.

Having a local holding center for illegally parked cars will allow deputies to tow more cars without wasting so much time, according to Public Safety Manager Susan Dueñas.

"A temporary day-use impound yard in Malibu will allow sheriff-approved tow operators to store towed vehicles temporarily until they are claimed or transferred to their regular impound yards in Thousand Oaks. Not having to make a round trip to Thousand Oaks for every vehicle greatly increases the number of illegally parked vehicles that can be towed away per day in Malibu," the city said.

The city considered a number of spots for the lot, including the Malibu High School upper parking lot, Malibu Equestrian Park and City Hall. The council considered availability, proximity to Zuma and Point Dume and accessibility when choosing a location, Dueñas said.

Some residents, like former mayor and City Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich and resident Jo Drummond, expressed concern about the location of the impound. Public speakers said the impound yard would have environmental effects on the area, disrupt the aesthetics of PCH and affect residents' local accessibility.

The issue saw significant pushback on social media. But City Councilmember Karen Farrer said some social media reports about the impound yard had been incorrect.

Many other public speakers, like Malibu resident Howard Rudzki, accepted the location as an imperfect but necessary solution.