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Infrastructure

Community Voice

Coastal erosion and Pacific Coast Highway protection

Seawalls tied to beachfront homes once helped protect PCH; after the Palisades Fire destroyed those homes, erosion accelerated under high tides and surf. The city aims for stabilization before winter/El Niño; Caltrans has begun temporary barriers, slope work, and state-owned seawall repair and is coordinating with Malibu and county agencies. Exposed parcels, utilities, and the highway remain at risk alongside private rebuilds and pier concerns.

What should be done about coastal erosion threatening PCH and fire-damaged Malibu shoreline?

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Sources

City of Malibu / SFGATE — https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/pacific-coast-highway-malibu-22383912.php
Seawalls attached to homes along PCH previously provided some protection for the roadway, but when the homes were destroyed in the Palisades Fire, those erosion protections disappeared with them. This has left PCH particularly exposed during this summer’s high tides and high surf, which have only accelerated coastal erosion.
Eric Menjivar, Caltrans spokesperson — https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/pacific-coast-highway-malibu-22383912.php
Caltrans has “started preliminary work” in the area, according to spokesperson Eric Menjivar, including by installing temporary safety barriers on Pacific Coast Highway in an impacted area near Big Rock Beach last month.
Daily News / Irvin context — https://www.dailynews.com/2026/09/25/malibu-reaches-100-permit-rebuilding-milestone-as-infrastructure-challenges-shape-fire-recovery
Irvin said Caltrans has been conducting remediation work involving sand and rock along 32 properties adjacent to PCH. The work is intended to stabilize the affected parcels and help protect utilities and the highway from further damage.
Positions on this issue  ·  liberal → conservative
  1. Large public climate-adaptation program: managed retreat options, nature-based defenses, and highway redesign
  2. Major state/city funding for permanent seawalls and PCH fortification before private oceanfront rebuilds
  3. Continue Caltrans-city temporary fixes and phased stabilization while coordinating with rebuilds
  4. Focus public dollars on highway and utilities only; private owners must rebuild their own seawalls
  5. Minimize new hard armoring and public spend; accept tighter build limits on eroding beachfront parcels

Septic systems and possible sewer for fire recovery

Beachfront and hillside Malibu rebuilds typically require individual septic systems plus seawalls and complex foundations, which slow permits and raise costs. A council candidate and coverage note a municipal sewer as a possible long-term fix, but financing, design, environmental review, and construction questions are unresolved; until then wastewater rules can determine whether owners can finalize plans.

Should Malibu pursue a sewer system to ease post-fire rebuilding instead of relying on septic systems?

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Sources

Smith, the council candidate — https://nypost.com/2026/08/01/us-news/malibu-homeowners-struggle-to-rebuild-18-months-after-palisades-fire
Smith, the council candidate, said the solution is to build a sewer system.
Daily News — https://www.dailynews.com/2026/09/25/malibu-reaches-100-permit-rebuilding-milestone-as-infrastructure-challenges-shape-fire-recovery
A sewer could reduce the individual burden for some properties, but questions involving financing, design, environmental review and construction remain. Until those issues are resolved, wastewater is not merely a regional infrastructure concern.
Bundy (city official context in Governing) — https://www.governing.com/urban/malibus-recovery-stalls-as-red-tape-and-fire-damage-collide
These homes require septic systems, sea walls, retaining walls and complex foundations. Those come with restrictions,
Positions on this issue  ·  liberal → conservative
  1. Build a public sewer quickly with major city/state funding and environmental streamlining for equity
  2. Prioritize sewer planning and public finance so more residents can rebuild without septic barriers
  3. Study sewer options carefully while allowing compliant septic rebuilds in the meantime
  4. Keep septic-based rules; only add sewer if private owners and ratepayers fully fund it
  5. Oppose new sewer infrastructure; enforce strict on-site septic and limit density on coastal lots