Undeveloped open space land is generally defined as areas that
are not built upon and may include both manmade and natural landscapes
and, as noted previously, includes any parcel or area of land or water
which is essentially unimproved or devoted to an open-space use and
which is designated on a local, regional or state open-space plan.
Open space can separate or unify urban functions or areas, depending
on its form and location. In addition, open space provides opportunities
for resource protection, enjoying scenic views, conservation of habitat
and natural resources, outdoor recreation, public health and safety.
Open space within Malibu includes undeveloped land, parks, public
and privately owned beaches, floodplain areas, earthquake areas, steep
slopes, and all existing natural conservation areas.
Vacant, undeveloped land dominates Malibu. There are 7,578.3
acres of vacant land which accounts for 60.4% of all land in the City.
Most of the vacant land in Malibu is in a natural state, containing
tree, brush, shrub, or grassland vegetation. Vacant land includes:
natural park land, environmentally sensitive lands, beaches, undeveloped
land which may be suitable for development, and abandoned agricultural
land with limited improvements. Vacant beach areas include coastal
beaches not associated with a national, state, county, or municipal
beach park. In Malibu, this designation typically refers to private
beaches. There are 113.3 acres of vacant/private beaches in the City.
These beaches are located along the coast extending from the east
end of the City (Las Tunas Beach) to the western boundary of the City
including Las Flores, Carbon, La Costa, and Big Rock Beach areas,
Malibu Colony, Point Dume, Broad Beach, Lechuza Beach, and the Encinal
beaches.
Open space accounts for 14.9% of the total land in Malibu, making
it the third most prevalent type of land use in Malibu. There are
1,869.9 acres of open space including regional and local parks, beach
parks, and public open space used for recreation.
Local and regional parks make up 743.7 acres of the open space
in Malibu. There is one local park in Malibu as defined by the Aerial
Information Systems. Local parks are typically community parks or
sports fields and their associated parking. Beach parks are not included
in this designation. The 6.5 acre Malibu Community Center located
on Point Dume is considered the only neighborhood park; the Center
is owned by the Santa Monica/Malibu Unified School District. Malibu
Bluffs Park located at the mouth of Malibu Canyon which is approximately
8.7 acres includes playing fields and the Michael Landon Community
Center. The second regional park in Malibu is the Malibu Lagoon State
Park. The Malibu Lagoon State Beach, approximately 3.5 acres and located
just east of the Civic Center at the mouth of Malibu Creek, also includes
the Adamson House. The Malibu Bluffs Park is heavily used by local
residents, so it is also considered a community park for recreation
planning purposes. Beach parks and public open space used for recreation
totaling 201 acres account for a large portion of the open space in
Malibu. The City has several regional (City, county, state or federal)
parks, including Charmlee Natural Area (formerly Charmlee Regional
County Park) which is managed by the City of Malibu. This is a 524-acre
site with small visitor/nature center and petting area with small
animals. Hiking, picnicking, equestrian, nature trails and whale watching
sites exist within the park.
Malibu Lagoon State Beach's facilities include fee and street
parking, restrooms, drinking water, hiking and nature trails, and
disabled access. The lagoon contains important bird refuge supported
by diverse marsh vegetation. The lagoon also supports steelhead trout
and tidewater goby. Surfrider Beach is a widely recognized surfing
area. The classic hollow peeling Malibu wave is one of Malibu's most
significant natural resources formed by the cobble contours of the
ocean floor.