Community outreach and engagement is an essential step in establishing new public facilities or upgrading aging infrastructure. It ensures communitywide projects reflect local needs and values.
Yountville Commons Project
In March 2024, the Town acquired the former Yountville Elementary School site and launched the Yountville Commons Project to collect community ideas for the future vision of the space. From August 2024 to March 2025, the Town conducted extensive outreach including study sessions, open houses, one-on-one conversations, office hours, community dinners, website updates, FAQs, and informal polls.
In March 2025, the project team presented a Community Design Workbook to the Town Council, outlining the conceptual site plan and community engagement process. During the meeting, the Town Council directed the Town Manager to continue preparing further designs and plans based on the approved conceptual site plan.
The March 2025 staff report was prepared by Town Manager Brad Raulston.
“It’s remarkable what can be achieved when the Town Council, community and staff come together to envision a space that truly reflects the needs of those they serve,” said Brad Raulston. “Workforce housing works when it’s shaped by this level of collaboration and engagement.”
Malibu Community Lands Project
The Malibu Community Lands Project was a robust community outreach and engagement initiative to gather feedback on the community’s vision for five city-owned lands totaling over 61 acres. From March through September 2024, outreach was split into two phases:
Phase 1 gathered general input from residents on potential land uses through virtual and in-person meetings, events, online forms and a scientifically valid survey. This led to the identification of 10 categories of potential land uses. Aligning with the 10 categories and preliminary feasibility review, Phase 2 aimed to collect more targeted community feedback to prioritize the potential uses for each of the five lands.
In October 2024, the City Council reviewed all feedback received and authorized staff to begin a phased approach for developing the lands, prioritizing community needs.
Management Analyst Cynthia Alba helped spearhead the project, highlighted in the October staff report.
“The Malibu Community Lands initiative is key to shaping our city’s future,” said Cynthia Alba. “As planning progresses, community input remains a top priority. Staff looks forward to continuing the collaborative dialogue in the coming months.”
To view both the City of Malibu and Town of Yountville’s staff reports, as well as more information on Public Facility Outreach, check out this LINK article.
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