City of Malibu Statement on July 4 Event at Nobu Restaurant

On Monday night, July 8, 2024, during the City Council meeting, City Manager Steve McClary addressed concerns regarding the unpermitted Fourth of July party at Nobu. This matter is now an active code enforcement case, and a citation has been issued.

Nobu had applied for a temporary use permit (TUP) to hold the event, but they failed to provide required information, and comply with conditions related to parking, traffic, and their circulation plan, and the event was denied.

The City did hear from Nobu on the morning of July 4 that the event was proceeding, despite the denial of the Temporary Use Permit (TUP). The City Attorney responded by advising them that doing so would constitute a willful violation of the City's municipal code, and would subject them to code enforcement action.

Unfortunately, the City does not have the jurisdictional ability to independently shut down an event like this. The City did have a Code Enforcement Officer on site, monitoring the event for any violations, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) also provided a traffic control officer to oversee the situation, and no significant traffic disruptions were reported.

Furthermore, the Los Angeles County Fire Department Fire Marshall was not called in, as it did not appear that the event exceeded the restaurant's capacity.

Regarding the tragic fatal traffic collision that occurred on Pacific Coast Highway later that evening, the matter is currently under investigation by the LASD, and all inquiries about it should be directed to the LASD. The City offers its sincere condolences and support to all those impacted by this loss, and remains committed to fighting for a safer PCH.

The City is aware that Nobu has threatened to bring a lawsuit against the City, but at this point in time, the City has not been served with a summons or complaint.

The LASD asks that anyone with information about the incident contact the Malibu-Lost Hills Sheriff's Station at 818-878-1808.