MALIBU
The Malibu City Council took decisive action Monday on the future of several community-owned parcels, approving temporary soccer fields at one site while continuing design work on a multigenerational community center, though disagreements over priorities and resources highlighted the challenge of balancing community needs with post-fire reconstruction efforts.
The council voted 4-0 to direct staff to work with an ad hoc committee to develop plans for temporary sports fields at the Ioki property, known as the Chili Cook-Off lot, with an emphasis on regulation soccer fields that the city currently lacks for older age groups.
"Having regulation fields, I think it's a necessary thing if we're going to have soccer here," said Council Member Haylynn Conrad, who helped schedule AYSO games and emphasized the need to accommodate regulation-sized fields.
The council also voted 4-0 to approve exploring options for a native plant nursery with the Santa Monica Mountains Fund and potential communal gardens on city property, though the specific location remains to be determined.
The decisions came during a lengthy discussion of the Malibu Community Lands Project, a community-driven initiative to determine appropriate uses for 61 acres of city-owned vacant land acquired through various transactions, including a 2017 swap with the state.
Deputy City Manager Richard Rojas presented updates on five parcels: Heathercliff, Ioki, La Paz (Parcel C at Cross Creek Ranch), the Triangle lot, and Trancas field. The item had been continued twice before due to the city's focus on fire recovery efforts.
For the Heathercliff property, staff reported being on track to present final design options in March for a multigenerational community center that could include pools, a gymnasium, senior center and expanded library services. The city entered into an agreement in November 2025 with Frederick Fisher and Partners to prepare conceptual designs, with $100,000 allocated for design services from a community benefits budget.
However, Council Member Bruce Silverstein introduced a motion to suspend work on the La Paz performing arts center to focus resources on Heathercliff, which passed 3-1 with Mayor Marianne Riggins opposed.
"We're two cities here where we have to be focused on the rebuild as much as we can, but we also have to continue to run the rest of city," Silverstein said. "I don't know that this is the time, though, to be undertaking construction projects which we know take forever in the city even in the best of times, and we are far, far from the best of times."
Silverstein also raised a previously undisclosed proposal involving a potential land swap that would trade all or part of the Ioki property for the Bell lot in front of City Hall, the Smith lot, and possibly other properties. The proposal, brought by a private developer interested in building a small luxury facility, would consolidate city control over the civic center area while potentially preserving community recreation space.
"It might be dead in the water. I don't know, because I'm not allowed to talk to anybody," Silverstein said, referencing Brown Act restrictions. "But before we should start deciding to build on any of these properties or do anything permanent, I think we should explore whether this is something that we have an appetite for."
The council voted 4-0 to agendize a discussion of the potential swap for the second meeting in March, when new City Manager Joseph Irvin will be in place.
The Triangle lot proved more contentious. Riggins moved to explore working with the Chamber of Commerce for a small office and informational center with parking at the site, citing the upcoming World Cup and Olympics.
"We've got a lot of visitors are going to be coming for the World Cup and for the Olympics, and if we don't get started right now, it's not going to get done in time for either of those events," Riggins said.
But the motion failed on a 2-2 vote, with Silverstein and Council Member Steve Uhring opposed. Acting City Manager Rob DuBoux expressed concerns about diluting staff focus during the fire recovery period.
"Let's focus on those ones first. Let's get to a certain point to where we can start developing those other projects," DuBoux said.
Community Services Director Kristin Riesgo noted that youth sports leagues expressed a strong preference to use the entirety of the Ioki site for sports fields, while the ad hoc committee had also discussed senior housing and workforce housing options at earlier meetings.
Riesgo explained that temporary field options include futsal-style fields that roll in and out with minimal grading or irrigation, though these may not accommodate full regulation sizes for older age groups.
Uhring advocated for exploring a senior living facility on city property, noting the aging population's needs.
"I just had a friend of mine — his mother just was, I think she was 83 or something, and she fell and nobody heard about her for a couple days," Uhring said. "So now he's got to put her in a home someplace, and they're trying to find — I hear that from people in Malibu but unfortunately, there's no place in Malibu for them to put somebody like them."
The Trancas field emerged as a potential site for fire-resistant native plants and community gardens, with Conrad praising the Santa Monica Mountains Fund's proposal as "really important."
Silverstein emphasized that revenue generation should not be the primary factor in deciding land use.
"We could put a casino in the Ioki spot that probably be the highest and best use, and give a Chumash casino make a ton of money. No way we wouldn't be doing that," Silverstein said, arguing the city should focus on open space and community amenities consistent with its vision and mission statements.
The council requested staff return with options for the Triangle lot in March, including the possibility of temporary gravel parking while permanent uses are determined. Interim City Attorney Trevor Rusin noted that standalone parking lots are not currently allowed in city code but could potentially be explored as a temporary use.