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Staff presents streamlined geotechnical and coastal guidelines; council and residents press for faster, clearer rebuild rules
Summary
City staff described updated geotechnical and coastal engineering guidelines and a fire‑rebuild worksheet intended to speed plan review. Residents and some council members urged additional state‑level relief or streamlined local processes for like‑for‑like rebuilds, especially in known stable areas such as Big Rock.
Malibu staff presented a new set of geotechnical and coastal engineering guidelines intended to accelerate post‑fire rebuild reviews and make expectations clearer for designers and property owners.
Planning and building staff member Yolanda summarized the city’s approach, saying the guidelines are “based on the codes” and that the city had released a streamlined fire‑rebuild geotechnical and coastal engineering worksheet and guidance posted at maliburebuilds.org. She noted the city follows the 2022 California Building Code (CBC) chapter 18, Title 24 of the California Building Standards, and the city’s municipal code provisions that govern geotechnical and coastal reviews.
Mike Phipps, a city geotechnical consultant, added historical context: the sections of code addressing beachfront and landslide hazards have evolved over many decades and are intended to address life‑safety risks posed by earthquakes, landslides and liquefaction.
Public response and contested points
Several residents and building professionals urged the city to use a targeted, lower‑cost “limited” geotechnical report process for properties with long histories of stability (Big Rock was cited repeatedly) rather than imposing extensive subsurface borings and full slope‑stability studies for every rebuild. One commenter advised that some rebuild lots have long monitoring records and instrument arrays that could substitute for deep subsurface testing.
Council reaction and policy context
Council members recognized the tension between life‑safety rules and the governor’s earlier direction to expedite rebuilds. Several members said the state’s building code remains binding; council members and residents asked the city to pursue state relief where the CBC and other codes unintentionally slow like‑for‑like rebuilding.
What staff will do next
- Staff said the new fire‑rebuild geotechnical worksheet and the one‑stop rebuild center are already in use and that the city has met with dozens of design teams and applicants.
- Staff will continue applying the published guidelines and will work with property owners and design teams to clarify when a limited report is appropriate; the record shows council members asked staff to pursue state‑level avenues for additional relief if required to speed rebuilds.
Ending
The geotechnical guidelines provide a written path for many rebuilds, but residents and some council members asked for additional, case‑by‑case flexibility and for continued outreach to state officials to reduce barriers for like‑for‑like reconstruction in stable locations.
