Malibu City Commission approves extended rebuild permits in wildfire zones

The Planning Commission of Malibu convened on February 3, 2025, to address several key agenda items, primarily focused on rebuilding efforts following the Woolsey Fire. The meeting began with discussions surrounding the approval of consent calendar items related to fire rebuilds, with a particular emphasis on ensuring compliance with updated building codes for high wildfire risk areas.

Commissioner Alec proposed that the remaining consent calendar items be approved with the condition that any future changes in city laws regarding construction in high wildfire areas be implemented. This suggestion aimed to enhance safety measures for homes being rebuilt in Malibu, which is classified as a high fire severity zone.

The city attorney clarified that existing building codes already mandate compliance with safety regulations for such areas. However, additional measures could be considered to further improve safety, such as property clearance requirements. The commission then moved to approve item 3B8, which involved granting a three-year extension for planning verification and a two-year extension for building permits. The motion received unanimous support from the commissioners.

Following this, the commission discussed item 3B9, which also requested extensions. There was a consensus among the commissioners that the proposed two-year extensions were insufficient given the workload and challenges faced by staff in processing these applications. A suggestion was made to apply longer extensions to all fire rebuild applications to alleviate the burden on city resources.

The meeting concluded with a recognition of the ongoing challenges in the rebuilding process and a commitment to revisit the discussion on extension durations in future meetings. The commissioners expressed a desire to ensure that the rebuilding efforts are adequately supported while maintaining safety standards in the face of potential wildfire risks.