Planning commission approves multiple deadline extensions for Woolsey fire rebuilds amid debate over ordinance limits

The Malibu Planning Commission on Feb. 3 approved a set of multi-year deadline extensions for property owners still rebuilding after the 2018 Woolsey Fire, voting to grant case-by-case relief while debating how far the commission may reasonably extend deadlines set originally by city council ordinances.

Commissioners approved extension requests during the consent-calendar period after a staff presentation explaining the department’s interpretation of several previously adopted council ordinances that had extended reconstruction deadlines for Woolsey victims. The approvals were routine for most commissioners but drew questions and a dissent from Commissioner John Mazza, who said the practice risked exceeding the maximum extension period council intended.

Staff said the city’s practice has been to treat planning-commission extensions as a combined total not to exceed nine years, and that the department had communicated that interpretation to affected property owners since the 2023 ordinance. Staff also summarized the financial and personal hardships cited by applicants, including underinsurance, delayed settlements with…