Malibu council narrows definition of "like-for-like" rebuilds, directs staff to ease documentation rules

Malibu City Council members on July 22 directed planning staff to adopt a flexible, evidence-based approach to allow homeowners to rebuild the homes that existed before this year's fires, while keeping intact local zoning and building-safety requirements.

The move followed a staff presentation on proposed "rebuild" policies and lengthy public comment from homeowners, architects and rebuild advocates pressing the council to accept photographs, aerial imagery and other nonpermit records when formal city permits are missing. Planning staff had warned the governor's executive order suspends CEQA and some Coastal Act review for eligible projects but does not remove local zoning and building-code requirements.

"CEQA and the California Coastal Act are suspended for those projects," said Tyler, a planning staff presenter. "But there's other laws'both local zoning and building code'that apply." The staff report summarized prior steps including adoption of ordinance 524 and certification of the Local Coastal Program earlier this year, and then presented detailed guidance on what constitutes "like-for-like," "substantially the same location," bulk calculations, basements, water tanks, and beachfront wave-action requirements.

Residents urged looser documentation standards. "Let people use as-builts, photos and…