Council moves to finalize Bluffs Park skate‑park settlement, schedules March 4 meeting

Melville — The City Council on Feb. 26 directed staff to work with the property owner who filed an appeal to finalize a settlement that would shift and lower the designed Bluffs Park skate park and add landscaping in exchange for withdrawal of the appeal and payment for certain changes.

Council members described the move as an effort to avoid costly litigation and get construction started. The council voted to hold a special meeting on Monday, March 4, to consider the final settlement language and related conditions.

The proposed settlement circulated in staff materials would: let the appellant (Scott Gillen/600 Spring) pay for additional grading and redesign to move the skate‑park footprint about 10 feet west and depress the upper “street” portion roughly 1–2 feet; allow the owner to install and maintain additional planting until the city takes over maintenance after construction; and permit limited weekday parking on the adjacent parcel during a short pre‑construction period for a fee. In council discussion staff and the park designer said the redesign would keep the park’s layout and skate experience intact while reducing sight lines toward the nearby homes.

Why it matters: The skate park has been in planning for years and has strong public support from youth and skate‑community advocates who told council they want the facility built quickly. Opponents — including the appellant — have argued the design, as previously shown, created unacceptable impacts on adjacent properties. The council’s decision to pursue a negotiated settlement aims to remove legal uncertainty and start construction sooner than would be possible if the dispute were litigated.

What council decided: After lengthy public testimony that ran more than an hour and included skateboarders, parents and neighbors, the council approved a substitute motion directing staff to prepare final settlement language and to present it at a special meeting March 4. That substitute motion passed on a 3–2 roll call (Council members Riggins and Grisanti and Mayor Pro Tem Stewart in favor; Council member Silverstein and Mayor Ewing opposed). Council also instructed staff to include provisions on upfront payment for agreed‑upon costs, parking, and landscaping timing and maintenance; the draft to be returned for council review.

Voices at the meeting: Skateboarders and parents packed the chamber, pressing for speed. “If that’s what needs to happen to get this park done sooner, then that’s what we need to do,” said Finn (a Malibu youth speaker), summarizing the central sentiment among young speakers. Opposing voices argued the city should resist a negotiated adjustment driven by a property owner’s legal threat. “I don’t want the city rolling over every time someone threatens litigation,” Council member Silverstein said during the debate.

Next step: The council set March 4 as the special meeting to consider the final written settlement; the appeal of the planning decision was continued to the council’s March 11 meeting if a settlement is not finalized. Staff told council it expects finalized language and related technical materials ahead of the March 4 meeting.

Legal and procedural notes: Staff and the city attorney advised the council that the specific changes under discussion — a modest lateral move, limited additional grading within the previously analyzed project area, and added landscaping — could be handled through city administrative review (substantial‑conformance) rather than a repeat planning commission hearing, but the council reserved final review for the public meeting when text is complete.

The council’s direction leaves multiple open questions officials said they will address in the coming days: whether any third‑party challenges would require the developer/appellant to indemnify the city, the exact level of any upfront payment or escrow for grading/landscape costs, and precise timelines so construction can proceed as soon as approvals are final.