No room at the inn?

Here’s the all-important question that Calabasas residents will be asked in a special ballot slated for Nov. 8:

“Should Calabasas annex 152 acres on Mulholland Highway east of Las Virgenes Road for the Malibu Valley Inn and Spa—a 203-room resort, five estate homes, facilities for swimming, equestrian use, tennis, fitness spa, restaurant, winery, shops, conference rooms and underground parking, as described in the project’s draft environmental impact report— in lieu of up to 81 estate homes on 443 acres if not annexed?”

The resort will bring major revenue—reportedly $25 million in its first 10 years—and plenty of prestige to the city, but more traffic and noise, too. Prospects for the inn and spa have split the community like no other development since the Commons came to the table more than a decade ago. Because of the sensitive nature of the project, the city council said it would ask voters to give an advisory opinion when this November’s election is held.

Unfortunately, many opponents are fighting the resort on the assumption that the pristine hillsides in rural Calabasas will remain open space if the project is defeated. The fact is, the 81 homes already have been approved by the county. Something, if not the resort, will be built.

You can read more about the pros and cons of the Malibu Valley Inn and Spa in today’s letters to the editor, but one thing still baffles us. Why does the city council need a vote by the public to do the work of city planners and staffers?

While we respect Calabasas officials for wanting to the let the citizens speak—and applauded this display of sensitive government in an earlier editorial—the vote puts the city in a potential no-win situation. What if voters endorse the inn and spa, but the city finds out in later studies that the effects of construction will cause major harm? On the other hand, what if citizens vote against the inn and spa, but a full environmental report later tells the city that the project is okay?

Calabasas has highly qualified land use experts for these matters. We think they should be allowed to do their job.

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