Current offering price is

THREE MILLION FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS

$3,400,000

171 CONTIGUOUS ACRES

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OVERVIEW

THE AREA 

The city of Malibu is a 27-mile (43.5 km) strip of Pacific coastline; a beachfront community famous for its warm, sandy beaches and for being the home of countless movie stars and others associated with the Southern California entertainment industries. Most Malibu residents live within a few hundred yards of Pacific Coast Highway (California State Route 1), which traverses the city; the city is also bounded (more or less) by Topanga Canyon to the east, the Santa Monica Mountains to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the south, and Ventura County to the west. Its beaches include Surfrider Beach, Zuma Beach, Malibu State Beach and Topanga State Beach; its neighboring parks include Malibu Creek State Park and the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. 

The subject property is located at the west end of the City Limits of Malibu. 

 Climate 

Malibu is set in a Mediterranean climate, which is typical for beachfront communities of Southern California. The average summer daytime high is 78 °F (25.6 °C), whereas the winter nighttime low averages 49 °F (9.4 °C). Malibu receives an average of 15

inches(380 mm) of rain yearly, and is often covered with a marine layer due to its proximity to the coast. On average, one out of every three days in Malibu will have some sort of cloud cover until noon. Winters are generally mild and wet, whereas summers are warm and extremely dry. 

Malibu's Beaches, with 21 miles of coastline, Malibu has many beautiful beaches with spectacular views, hiking opportunities, surfing, swimming, and a great time to be had by those who visit, so come visit them all! The SURFRIDER REACH, ZUMA BEACH and LEO CARILLO BEACH are the most popular beaches in the area. Public access to other beaches along the highway is marked for your convenience. 

With 21 miles of coastline, Malibu has many beautiful beaches. In addition to public access ways on many of the private beaches, there are several popular public beaches: 

(Beach in Malibu located nearby the subject property)

Point Dume State Beach -accessed from Westward Beach Road; parking is fee based. This is a State owned beach, operated by L. A. County. Westward Beach -also known as "free Zuma" ; limited parking available. Zuma Beach -entrance is located just West of Heathercliff Dr.; plenty of parking available, fee charged. 

La Piedra Beach -one of the Robert H. Meyer State Beaches; limited parking available. Nicholas Canyon Beach -located at 33850 PCH El Pescador Beach -one of the Robert H. Meyer State Beaches; limited parking available. El Matador -one of the Robert H. Meyer State Beaches; limited parking available. 

More Information about the County operated beaches can be found on the Los Angeles County website. Notice -Alcohol is not allowed on any State or County beach. There is a zero tolerance policy and citations are issued. 

Transportation 

Air service to Malibu California is accessed through several public airports. Los Angeles International, Ontario, Ventura are in the vicinity of Malibu. The Pacific Coast highway affords direct access to down town Malibu California along the scenic highway. 

DESCRIPTION OF SUBJECT PROPERTY 

Location-The subject property is located at the north end of the City Limits of Malibu.

Size: 171 acres 

Shape: Irregular 

Location: Malibu, California 

Zoning: Rural Residential 40, City of Malibu, California 

Highest & Best Use: Residential 

Frontage/Access -The subject property is accessed via a 1200+/-foot long, 30 +/-foot access road off the Pacific Coast Highway. The access is on the north side of Pacific Coast Highway via a gated entry and paved roads that access residences 34077 PCH, 34033 PCH and the Malibu Tennis and Riding Club at 33905 PCH. 

Soil/Subsoil Conditions – A geological report was prepared by Geo concepts and is dated July, 2006. The report states that the majority of the subject property consists of soils which are considered well-suited for residential development. The soil types that are not naturally suited for development are easily groomed with proper drainage to accommodate residential development. 

Wetlands -No onsite wetlands have been identified 

Flood Areas – no portion of the site has been identified as being within a flood zone. 

BIOLOGICAL SITE ASSESSMENT 

A Biological Site Assessment on the subject property was completed in September of 2007. The report concluded that the site did not reveal any endangered species or plants. 

ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE ASSESSMENT 

A Phase I Archeological Report was completed for the subject property in May 2006. The report concluded that the site did not reveal any Archeological sites present. 

TAX INFORMATION 

The subject property consists of one (1) tax parcels. The tax parcel numbers are is follows: 4473-002-010 

UTILITIES 

The subject property is located proximate to all public utilities. The property is served by the following utility purveyors: 

Water-On site well to be installed by purchaser Sewer-On site septic systems. Power-Telephone-Cable-

SCHOOLS 

Santa Monica – Malibu Unified School District, 1651 Sixteenth Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404, (310) 450-8338 

SITE DESCRIPTION  

The property is comprised of one single tax parcel with an elongated irregular shape approximately 1200 feet from the Pacific Coast Highway. There are no structures on site. 

ENCROACHMENTS

Encroachments, if any, are unknown. However, via visual observation, no encroachments are apparent. 

ENTITLEMENTS 

The property currently consists of one (1) tax parcel. There are no pending applications for land use. Any land use application would have to be submitted to the City of Malibu based upon current City regulations and codes. 

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT PLAN 

Following the acquisition of the subject property, the new property owner could develop the 171+/-acres in accordance with the City of Malibu codes and regulations. Based upon the current City Zoning Code, the Purchaser of the property potential is to yield 4 single family parcels. 

SUMMARY 

The current owner of the property has determined that it wishes to sell the 171+/-acre site to pursue other interests. The property is well located with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. This is an excellent investment or development opportunity. 

History Of Malibu, California.

Spanish exploration & early owners of Malibu 

Prior to the arrival of the Spanish explorers, the coastal areas of California from Malibu to San Luis Obispo were the lands of the Chumash, Native Americans who built villages in favorable locations including "Humaliwo" village near the lagoon at the mouth of what is now Malibu Creek. The word is recorded as meaning one of three phrases: where "the surf sounds loudly"; "where the mountains meet the sea"; or "Place on the cliff". 

The first accounts of the Malibu area came from the explorations of the Spaniard Juan Cabrillo, who set sail from Navidad, Mexico in June 1542. From October 10-13, 1542 he anchored in the small bay of Malibu Lagoon, claiming the landfall for the King of Spain, naming it "Pueblo de las Canoas" (Town of the Canoes), because of the many impressive Chumash canoes which came to his ships to greet him. 

More than 200 years later in 1775 an expedition by Juan Bautista de Anza brought 250 men, women, and children from Mexico, across then unknown deserts and mountains, to establish a permanent Spanish settlement in California. Traveling through inland valleys, on February 22, 1776, they made camp on a fine stream under the oak trees in the vicinity of today's Malibu Creek State Park. They recorded that young Jose Bartolome Tapia, eldest of nine children of a soldier's family, rode his horse along an old Indian trail, following the creek through a beautiful canyon until he could see the lagoon and beach. Years later, around 1800, Tapia applied for a grant of the land he saw as a youth, as a reward for his Army service. The grant was made in 1805, with the name Rancho Topanga Malibu Sequit, possibly the first recorded use of the name Malibu. Tapia settled on the land, to graze his cattle and raise his family. 

In 1848, Leon Victor Prudhomme, who married Tapia's granddaughter, acquired title to the Rancho Malibu. By that time it comprised about 14,000 acres described as: 

"Said land is bounded on the North by the Sierra Mayor; on the South by the Pacific Ocean; on the East by the Rancho Santa Monica, where it joins the Canada de Topanga; and on the West by the mouth of the San Buenaventura River." 

The US-Mexican War brought American government to California and in 1852 the U.S. Land Commission held hearings to determine ownership of the former Spanish/Mexican lands. Prudhomme put in his claim for the Rancho Malibu but could not document the Tapia title and his ownership. After the Gold Rush boom ended in 1857 he sold his undefined interest in the land to Don Mateo Keller (born Matthew Keller in Ireland in 1811) for about ten cents per acre. By 1864 Keller was able to perfect his claim to the land, and receive full title to 13,330 acres described as: 

"Extending from a place called 'Topanga,' the dividing line between these lands and the Ranch of 'Santa Monica,' on the southeast, along the Pacific to a point called Mugu on the northwest, and bounded on the northeast by a ledge of rocks on the top of and extending the whole length of a range of mountains; and adjoining the lines of the ranchos of 'Las Virgines,' 'Triunfo,' 'Santa Ysabel,' and 'Conejo."' 

Other claims and appeals had to be disposed of before, on August 29, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant did "give and grant" the Rancho Topanga Malibu Sequit to Keller. All later deeds to Malibu real estate are traceable to "the land of Matthew Keller in the Topanga Malibu Sequit." 

In 1892 Frederick Hastings Rindge and May K. Rindge, the fourth and last owners of the entire Rancho Malibu, purchased this 13,330-acre tract from Henry Keller's son Matthew, for a then fabulous price of $10 per acre (increased from ten cents per acre 35 years earlier). Rindge later expanded the ranch to 17,000 acres by buying adjacent land held by homesteaders and other Spanish land grants. Some homesteaders held on to their claims, however, such as the Decker family in the canyon that now bears their name. 

In 1892 Frederick Hastings Rindge and May Knight Rindge, the fourth and last owners of the entire Rancho Malibu, purchased the 13,330-acre tract from Henry Keller's son Matthew, for a then fabulous price of $10 per acre (up from ten cents per acre 35 years earlier). They later expanded the ranch to 17,000 acres, buying up the holdings of homesteaders with adjacent property. 

With the purchase of Rancho Malibu, Mr. Rindge realized his dream of the ideal country home: "A farm near the ocean, under the lee of the mountains, with a trout brook, wild trees , a take, good soil, and excellent climate, one not too hot in summer." He built a large ranch house in Malibu Canyon (beneath present-day Serra Retreat) to serve as a headquarters for the ranch. It was a working cattle and grain-raising ranch which through the many years of the Rindge dynasty was to become one of the most valuable large real estate holdings in the United States. 

In 1903 the Malibu Canyon home was destroyed by a disastrous brush fire. Following the fire, the family lived in temporary tent houses and a cabin until two years later when Frederick Hastings Rindge died at the age of 48 in 1905. Following Frederick Rindge's death, May K. Rindge took over the management of her husband's extensive business affairs including the Malibu Ranch. 

Battle against the Railroad 

May Rindge, dubbed "Queen of the Malibu" by newspaper detractors, wanted most of all to be left alone to run her Rancho Malibu in peace. It was not to be. In 1904, the Southern Pacific Railroad applied to the Interstate Commerce Commission to build tracks linking the Long Wharf in Santa Monica with their northern tracks at Santa Barbara. The connection proposed was a straight line right through the Malibu ranch. A loophole in the ICC law prevented condemning a right-of-way parallel to an already existing railroad, so the Rindges decided to build a private railroad through Rancho Malibu to keep the bigger railroad company out. Mr. Rindge died in 1905 but May Rindge carried on with the plan and built 15 miles of standard gauge tracks called the Hueneme, Malibu and Port Los Angeles Railway.

 Hueneme, Malibu and Port Los Angeles Railway trestle over Ramirez Canyon above Paradise Cove. Photo: Malibu Historical Society, Los Angeles Magazine. 

The line was completed in 1908 and remained in use until the 1920s, used mainly to ship grains and hides from the ranch operations via the Malibu Pier. It ran from Las Flores Canyon to a point near Yerba Buena Canyon in Ventura County, using the flat sandy land along the coast and spanning canyons with immense trestle bridges. The short life of this tiny railroad successfully turned the tide of development toward the San Fernando Valley and made the Malibu coast area the only part of Southern California that is today free of railroad traffic. 

Battle against the Highway 

The battle over the coast road through Malibu was much harder and ultimately unsuccessful. Early use of the Malibu roads was restricted to the Rindge family and ranch employees although they always allowed neighbors to cross, even giving them keys to locked gates. Others made free use of the beach route at low tide to travel south to Santa Monica or north to Ventura, whether homesteaders on adjacent land, smugglers, or tourists. 

The first wave of lawsuits for more access started in 1907 and were not settled fully until 1917 by which time both Federal and California state courts decided in Rindge's favor, that she could restrict access to roads crossing her private land, including the beach. However, that victory was upset in 1919 when Los Angeles County bowed to public pressure and used the courts to condemn the right-of-way and begin construction of a road. Mrs. Rindge continued the fight in court, and to resist survey and construction work, but merely delayed the road. Overcoming all of May Rindge's objections, the County Road through Malibu Ranch was finally opened for the public on November 3, 1921. 

Even while the long string of cases between the County of Los Angeles and Mrs. Rindge were still in court, the State of California decided to construct a highway along the coast. On June 11, 1923, Mrs. Rindge lost her case in the United States Supreme Court, and a road easement was granted to the State of California through the Malibu Ranch. The state highway right-of-way followed the route of the County Road in some places and in other places it was constructed parallel to it. Mrs. Rindge continued to fight on other grounds and to resist any start of construction. When state highway employees arrived to begin work, they were met at the Las Flores gate by forty of Mrs. Rindge's armed guards on horseback who kept the work crew off the ranch for three days. The State eventually was awarded title to the right-of-way through the Malibu Ranch in 1925 by the Superior Court and the final order of condemnation was issued two years later. 

The new state highway was named "Roosevelt Highway" originally and is now Pacific Coast Highway, opened to the public between Santa Monica and Oxnard in June 1929, 22 years after the first court action. There was a gala ribbon cutting on that day with the Governor presiding. An era of California history ended on that day, as the last Spanish Land Grant to have remained privately intact was now crossed by a public road that separated the land from the shoreline. The isolation of Malibu was over. Mrs. Rindge created the Marblehead Land Company to manage the sale and lease of property in Malibu to outsiders, necessary to raise cash to pay her extensive legal and tax bills. 

"Road Closed" signs are not uncommon in Malibu due to rock and mud slides that plague the Pacific Coast Highway against which Mrs. Rindge fought. Some old-time Malibu residents have long memories and refer to such closures as "Rindge's Revenge." 

The Legacy of the Rindge Family 

In 1924 the Rindge Dam was constructed on Malibu Creek (photo, top of page) and in 1928 May Rindge started construction of a great 50-room house on "Laudamus Hill" in Malibu Canyon overlooking the sea. She started Malibu Potteries to make tiles, a commercial venture to add to ranch revenue and also as building materials for the Laudamus Hill home and a second home on "Vaquero Hill" (today's Malibu Lagoon Museum) by her only daughter, Rhoda Rindge Adamson. During the Great Depression of the 1930s all of her ventures fell on hard times and losses accumulated on the once prosperous property. When May K. Rindge died on February 8, 1941, at the age of 76, her precious land was in insolvency and she was practically without funds. Her unfinished "castle" along with 26 acres of land and thousands of crated Malibu Potteries tiles, were sold in 1942 to the Franciscan Order for $50,000 (today's Serra Retreat House, rebuilt after a 1970 brush fire).