Planning Commission appeals will cost more in Malibu
Michele Willer-Allred, Staff Reporter
9:47 am PDT June 1, 2020
For the first time in almost a decade, it will cost more to appeal a Malibu Planning Commission decision.
The five-member City Council recently voted unanimously to raise the fee to $750 — a $250 increase.
According to the staff report, the fee has not changed since it was set in 2011.
A study conducted in 2015 concluded that approximately 32 hours of staff time are spent processing each appeal, and the existing $500 fee fell well short of covering that cost.
Planning Director Bonnie Blue said subsidizing appeal-fee costs can lead to more appeals and delay action on projects, rather than those projects being considered on their substantive merit.
The city provided a list of appeal fees from other cities, including Agoura Hills ($1,000 to $1,652), Calabasas ($500), and Hidden Hills ($806). Agoura Hills and Calabasas fees include appeal noticing costs.
Malibu resident Kraig Hill spoke on the issue at the May 26 video conference meeting and said appeal fees affect the whole community and the issue should really be heard in a full, live hearing at City Hall.
“The stakes are pretty low for the city on this item, but huge for potential appellants, so I wonder what’s the rush?” Hill asked.
He called the increase “discriminatory.”
“If even one legitimately aggrieved party is deterred by the extra cost, then the whole community has lost,” Hill said, adding that the council should consider a hardship waiver if they agree to increase it.
“Bottom line, most taxpayers would feel better knowing that they, and the least advantaged, can have access to justice even if it means an increase of literally a buck or two on their tax bill,” Hill added.
Council member Rick Mullen responded by saying the council wasn’t rushing the item, that they already had a “fairly robust and spirited discussion on this issue” at their April 27 meeting, also held remotely.
The fee increase is effective 60 days from the date of adoption of the resolution.