Malibu West Neighborhood

Malibu West is a built-out subdivision of 177 homes and 60 condominiums, mostly built from 1962 to 1964. 148 homes are located within Trancas Canyon (and thus not visible from the highway), and 89 homes are located alongside Trancas Canyon Road and on private streets above the canyon and Trancas Creek (including all of the 37 condominiums).

Most single family homes in Malibu West range from approximately 1,600 square feet to 2600 square feet, on lots ranging from less than a quarter acre to more than an acre in size. Most of the homes are one- and two-story 1960s suburban-style tract homes in 5 or 6 basic floor plans. The majority of the homes are owner-occupied, many by families with children drawn by the area's proximity to local schools and the relatively moderate (for Malibu) home prices. Recreational amenities available to residents of the subdivision include two community tennis courts and a private beach club, as well as hiking and riding trails through the adjacent national parklands. Residents of the condominiums also have use of a common swimming pool. The nearest community park and playground are at the Malibu Community Center, approximately five miles away. Many of the homes in Malibu West have ocean and/or mountain views, and some of the homes in the canyon abut Trancas Creek.

The only access to PCH from Malibu West is via Trancas Canyon Road, the local collector road. A single private roadway, Principio Drive, provides the only egress to Trancas Canyon Road for those residents in the canyon, whose homes are located on a series of private streets maintained by a homeowners association, the Malibu West Swim Club. Utilities are underground, and there are no street lights. Some, but not all, of the private streets have sidewalks. Wastewater is treated at the Trancas Treatment Plant, located near the mouth of Trancas Creek, which was built for the subdivision and is maintained by the County of Los Angeles. The plant is currently operating at capacity. The community is served by Waterworks District #29, and receives its water from the 16" main under PCH.

Most of the homes In Malibu West were built in the 1960s and 1970s. As the homes have aged, and new families have moved in, residents have increasingly remodeled their homes to suit their changing needs and tastes. All building and uses within Malibu West are subject to review by the Board of Directors of the Swim Club, and governed by the Codes, Covenants and Restrictions (CC&Rs) of the association. (These CC&Rs expired in 1999.)

Most homes in Malibu Wast have memberships to the Trancas Beach Club on the south end of Broad Beach.

Sources: Information on this page was adapted from the City of Malibu, General Plan, November 1995

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