Malibu council initiates Local Coastal Program amendment to speed fire rebuilds; staff says EPA phase‑1 cleanup will be done by end of February

The Malibu City Council on Jan. 27 voted to initiate a Local Coastal Program amendment and a zoning text amendment intended to speed and clarify rebuild rules after three fires that damaged or destroyed hundreds of properties.

Planning staff told council that the changes under consideration would do several things: authorize planning verifications for like‑for‑like rebuilds, clarify how on‑site wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) are handled, address finished‑floor elevation conflicts with FEMA flood requirements, and offer options for owners on geologically sensitive lots who want to relocate a new structure on the same parcel to a safer spot.

“Earlier this month the governor issued an executive order that suspends the California Environmental Quality Act and the California Coastal Act to the extent they would normally apply for certain rebuild projects,” Planning Director Tyler told the council. Staff said the intent is to make long‑standing, repeatable rules that would allow future post‑disaster rebuilds to move more quickly rather than forcing the city to reopen complex LCP changes after every event.

Council members pressed for speed. Several asked staff to use special planning‑commission meetings and to return draft amendment language quickly so designers and owners are working from the same rules. Council directed staff to bypass standard timing and take the draft straight to the planning commission for a public hearing.

Debris and cleanup update: City staff later reported that federal and county partners are mobilizing cleanup resources. The city’s recovery lead said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and County teams plan to finish the phase‑1 hazardous‑materials (HAZMAT) assessment and stabilization by the end of February and that Right‑of‑Entry (ROE) forms for the phase‑2 debris removal would be available online at 6 a.m. the following day. The staff presentation said ROE submissions will be accepted through March 31 and that the county will work on a first‑come, first‑served basis to schedule phase‑2 removal or allow homeowners to opt out and hire private contractors.

Why it matters: The LCP and zoning changes are intended to remove procedural delay from homeowners who want to rebuild by limiting discretionary reviews for like‑for‑like rebuilding and by clarifying coastal and flood‑plain interactions that can otherwise require lengthy appeals or waivers.

Formal action: The council voted to adopt Resolution 25‑06 to initiate the LCP amendment and ZTA and to direct staff to transmit the draft directly to the planning commission; the motion passed unanimously (5–0).

What happens next: Staff said it will prepare amendment language and pursue an accelerated schedule with the planning commission, with additional public notices and hearings. The city also urged homeowners to submit Right‑of‑Entry forms quickly when the county opens the portal, because debris removal queues will be scheduled on a first‑come basis.