www.palisadesnews.com
June 30 - July 28, 2023 Volume 46, Issue 72
Delays Threaten Construction of a New Malibu High School, SMMUSD Says SMMUSD Says the Project Could Finish in Time for 2025. By Zach Armstrong The Santa Monica – Malibu Unified School District is urging local parents to help deter the California Coastal Commission from delaying plans around a new high school building at Malibu High School, a move that SMMUSD says threatens plans for construction. SMMUSD sent out a letter in light of the Coastal Commission requesting another year to review an amendment that includes the new high school’s Phase 1 construction. If the new high school building is delayed another year, SMMUSD says it would increase costs such that there won’t be enough taxpayer money to cover it. It went on to say the commission should expedite approval of the Amendment
within the next 60 days and that construction must begin construction early this fall to open in time for the 2025-26 school year. In November 2018, voters approved a campus development plan for Malibu Middle and High School and to fund construction of the new high school building on the former Juan Cabrillo Elementary site. To start construction, Phase 1 must get a Coastal Development Permit either by the City Planning Commission approving the CDP or the City Council and the Coastal Commission amending the LCP with a specific plan, according to a letter from Santa Monica – Malibu Unified School District. The campus plan was sent to the Coastal Commission in October 2022. The commission staff’s move was delayed by requesting more information, now requesting an additional year to review the submission. “If a one-year extension is granted and it takes up to a year to be permitted to begin construction, not only will the opening be pushed to 2026 or after, but the escalated
cost will most likely exceed the amount of bond funds available, either killing the project as conceived or requiring more taxpayer funding.” read the letter.
An initial plan was to open Phase 1 for students in 2024. SMMUSD says now the best hope is to complete the building in time for the 2025-26 school year.
The U.S. Open Is Coming to Pacific Palisades It Will Be the Tournament’s 17th Time in California Following a return of the U.S. Open to the Los Angeles market, the USGA has announced that The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., has been selected as the host for the 131st U.S. Open Championship. The prestigious tournament is scheduled to take place from June 12-15, 2031. John Bodenhamer, USGA chief championships officer, expressed enthusiasm for the choice, stating in a post “Riviera Country Club is a truly spectacular course that holds a special place in the game’s history. We are thrilled to bring the U.S. Open back to the site of such historic moments for golf and the USGA and look forward to writing a new chapter in 2031.” This will be the fifth USGA championship held at the Riviera Country Club. The club has previously hosted the 1948 U.S. Open, won by
Ben Hogan, the 1998 U.S. Senior Open, won by Hale Irwin, and the 2017 U.S. Amateur, won by Doc Redman. Additionally, the club is set to welcome its first U.S. Women’s Open in 2026. Megan Watanabe, CEO of The Riviera Country Club, expressed gratitude for the USGA’s decision, saying, “We are so grateful that the USGA will return the U.S. Open to our club in 2031. Over a six-year period, we will showcase our championship course to the world with the U.S. Women’s Open in 2026, the men’s and women’s Olympics competition in 2028, and the U.S. Open in 2031.” The 1948 U.S. Open was the first ever held in California, and Hogan’s remarkable performance earned the course the nickname “Hogan’s Alley.” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass commended the USGA’s choice, emphasizing the city’s status as a host for major sporting events. The Riviera Country Club, designed by George C. Thomas Jr. with assistance from William P. Bell, opened in 1927 and has been the long-time host of the PGA Tour’s Genesis
Invitational. It has also hosted two PGA Championships and the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Championship. Furthermore, it will serve as the venue for the men’s and women’s golf competitions during the 2028 Olympic Games. The 2031 U.S. Open at The Riviera Country Club will mark the 17th time the championship has been held in California and only the third time in Los Angeles.
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