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Malibu Reconsiders Old Plan For Bike Paths and Walkways from Pier to Lagoon
The beach and Malibu Pier (Photo by Robin Black Photography via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
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Malibu could soon boast a 3.5-mile area devoted to bike paths, walkways, and a viewing deck between the Pier and the Lagoon, thanks to the recent revival of something known as the Malibu Esplanade Project. But not everyone is pleased this proposal is making a comeback.
Malibu Patch reports that the plan has its roots back in the 1980s, and Tuesday was reinvigorated thanks to a unanimous vote by The Malibu Parks and Recreation Commission to consider finally making it happen.
Right now, the plan is for a "subcommittee and others in the city will meet with the designers and project representatives to find out more about the project," and then present their findings for possible approval.
The Esplanade Project didn't die completely in the 80s, but rather struggled for support from city leaders and grant funding over the years. It also faced widespread opposition from locals and surfers who did not want to see their beachfront turned into a chaotic attraction. Some Malibu residents have already expressed concerns about the resurfaced plan, and say they will once again try to keep it from happening.
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Specifically, the plans for the Esplanade "call for 3.5 miles of pedestrian walkways, bikeways, a viewing deck at Surfrider Beach and access to trails in the Santa Monica Mountains and the shops in the Cross Creek area." Carving out space for those walkways and bikeways, however, would necessitate "the widening of the Malibu Bridge over the Malibu Lagoon on Pacific Coast Highway, a major undertaking," notes Patch.
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