Opposition Grows Louder Against Malibu Lagoon Project

The Los Angeles County Democratic Party is the latest group to come out in opposition of the overhaul of the Malibu Lagoon, joining the Malibu City Council in speaking out against the project in its current form.

The LACDP voted on April 10 on a resolution to send a letter to state Natural Resources Secretary John Laird to urge him to place the project on hold until further studies, including a new Environmental Impact Report (EIR), are completed, according to Clark Lee, a LACDP spokesman.

The group also agreed to send copies of the letter to Gov. Jerry Brown, Sen. Fran Pavley, Assemblymember Julia Brownley and L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky.

The resolution calls for a new EIR, because of beliefs that the report's information has changed since the original document was completed in 2006.

Malibu resident Ted Vaill, who is an elected delegate to the state Democratic Party convention, helped draft the resolution and brought it to the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, he said.

Vaill added that he hopes the LACDP's opposition will help put the project on hold.

"Let's look at alternative solutions here," Vaill said, adding that he fears the project will harm the lagoon and that species will die. Opponents object to the use of bulldozers, the removal of the bridges and other features.

Suzanne Goode, Senior Resource Ecologist for the California State Parks, told Patch she is concerned about the disapproval, but that she expects the project to get underway on June 1.

"It’s not going to impact what we are going to do whatsoever," Goode said.

Environmental groups that support the Malibu Lagoon restoration plan include the Santa Monica Baykeeper, Heal the Bay and the Surfrider Foundation. The Malibu Adamson House Foundation and the Docent Council of the Adamson House came out in support last year.

Proponents say the lagoon is clogged up by sediments and needs better oxygen circulation, and that the project has been the subject of public meetings for 10 years. The project includes the replacement of nonnative vegetation with native vegetation and adjustments to slopes and channels in a 12-acre portion of the lagoon. Existing access bridges will be removed.

In October, San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Ernest H. Goldsmith ruled that .

Last week, the Malibu City Council voted to in its current form. Councilmembers also authorized Mayor Laura Zahn Rosenthal to send a letter to Gov. Jerry Brown and other agencies about the city's stance on the project.

The council also asked the city attorney to file an amicus brief and directed the city manager to negotiate an independent study of the project with the U.S. Geological Survey.

In addition, the City Council will seek to appoint two councilmembers to a committee that will look to collaborate with the state to create an alternative to the proposed project.