State Panel Approves Malibu Development Plan By U2 Guitarist

MONTEREY (AP) — The California Coastal Commission has finally approved a five-home development in the mountains overlooking Malibu that was proposed years ago by U2 guitarist The Edge.

The powerful coastal regulatory panel voted unanimously Thursday in Monterey to approve plans that have undergone major revisions to reduce visual impacts and effects on sensitive habitats in the Santa Monica Mountains — the rugged wilderness backdrop to the star-studded coast.

The guitarist partnered with a developer to buy the land along a prominent ridge line in 2006.

But amid vigorous opposition from environmentalists and others, the proposal was withdrawn and resubmitted several times, and at one point it was turned down by the commission.

The five individual applications approved by the commission cluster the homes much closer together than previously envisioned and leaves more open space.

"If they would have followed our direction 10 years ago they'd be having Christmas dinner in their house," said Jack Ainsworth, the commission's senior deputy director, who's been working on the project for a decade.

The plan still must go through local government processes.

The Edge issued a statement thanking the commission for its feedback, saying "it has inherently driven better home designs and ensured protection of Malibu's natural resources."

"From day one, my intention was to build a home of the very highest possible standard of environmental sensitivity and sustainability," the statement said.