Malibu planning commission approves Cliffside Drive remodel with condition to add second exit if required

The Malibu Planning Commission on June 2 approved a coastal development permit for 29042 Cliffside Drive, a Point Dume bluff-top property, allowing a new 900-square-foot detached second unit, a roughly 1,845-square-foot subterranean recreation room, a new pool, roof decks and other site work with a minor modification reducing the front-yard setback by 50 percent.

The project drew lengthy staff review and discussion focused on the basement recreation room’s emergency egress and how any required secondary exit would affect total development size and grading. City planner Rick Caswell told commissioners the application proposed 431 cubic yards of nonexempt grading, about 9,545 square feet of impermeable surface (13,225.5 allowed), and a total developed square footage (TDSF) of 7,002 where 7,059 is allowable.

Why it matters: Commissioners pressed the project team and staff about life-safety requirements for…