City 'Dropped the Ball' by Not Buying Point Dume Site, Council Member Says; Mayor Pro Tem Says There is More to the Story

Mayor Pro Tem Laura Zahn Rosenthal said the city could not purchase the 9.8-acre DeWind site in Point Dume because property owner Zan Marquis had placed conditions on a sale that would have created an unfair financial burden for Malibu. City Council member Pamela Conley Ulich had eyed the property for many years as a site for a park and/or community center. likely put an end to this dream.

"While I appreciate the energy and time that Council member Conley Ulich put into these negotiations, I feel that a few things have been omitted from the story," Rosenthal wrote in a Tuesday email to Malibu Patch. "First, since the negotiations were done in closed session, I cannot report on them directly. Suffice it to say that some of the conditions that the owner asked for were untenable and would have put an unfair financial burden on the city."

She continued, "I personally would rather use that money for added sheriff presence and other public safety issues. In addition, the council was very clear when we discussed this at a recent meeting that we were willing to buy the property if Council member Conley Ulich or others were able to secure the other $2 to $3 million needed to build a park/fields and make it usable for our residents. All of us want more fields and parks, but not at the cost of half [the city's financial] reserve."

Rosenthal's comments were made in response to Conley Ulich’s accusation that the city had "dropped the ball" by not buying the site. City Council member Jefferson "Zuma Jay" Wagner told Malibu Patch the city had offered Marquis "near asking price" for the property, but did not hear back from him until Marquis' email to the city last week announcing he had sold the land to Sterling.

"I am very, very disappointed at the lack of vision of the city for not taking advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Conley Ulich told Malibu Patch on Friday. "We could’ve had a West. We dropped the ball. I’m hoping this will not sit and do nothing if other opportunities come along.”

Marquis, who owns the mall, bought the DeWind property in late December for $2 million. He had wanted to use the land for a parking lot because he needs more spaces before the city would allow Marquis to open a new cafe at the mall, which is located directly across the highway from the DeWind property. A municipal purchase of the site likely would have included a condition that allowed Marquis to build a parking lot on a portion of the land.

Marquis did not respond to calls and emails for this story.

Sterling  also owns the six-acre Vital Zuman organic farm property, which is located next to the DeWind site. There has been speculation in the community about what he plans to do with the properties. Officials at his real estate office said Monday that Sterling was traveling for two weeks, and that he likely would speak to Malibu Patch when he returns.

Both properties are zoned Rural Residential 5, which means one home can be built per 5 acres. This would allows Sterling to build one home on each site. He could apply for a lot merger, which would form one continuous property of nearly 16 acres, and therefore be eligible for three homes. A lot merger would require city approval and the decision could be appealed to the California Coastal Commission.

Some people in the community have speculated Sterling has grander plans for the site, including condos and/or commercial projects. To do this he would need zoning and other land designation adjustments that would require city and Coastal Commission approval.