Soccer club pitches privately funded fields at Chili Cook-Off site Play

A Malibu soccer club wants to build two fields on city land at the Chili Cook-Off site — at its own expense — and keep priority use for its kids.

View FC is a private youth club run by Malibu residents Rodney and Haley Wallace. They propose taking over the vacant lot known as the Chili Cook-Off site, also called Ioki Park, at Webb Way and Civic Center Way.

Private investors are willing to spend $2 million to $3 million to build the fields now. In exchange, View FC wants a 25- to 30-year lease with the city, guaranteed priority scheduling for its teams, and artificial turf. The club says high-quality turf is more durable and more consistent, and can support the community and organized-sports use they have in mind.

View FC says the fields could be open for community use from morning through the end of the school day. The club would take them after school and in the evenings. AYSO, Malibu's long-running soccer program, could stay on the grass at Bluffs Park — but would be frozen out of the city-owned facilities at the Chili Cook-Off site.

View FC currently serves about 130 kids who live in Malibu and about 20 from nearby communities, including Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, and Monte Nido.

The organizers say they submitted a formal letter of interest to the city three weeks ago, at a meeting that included Councilmembers Haylynn Conrad and Marianne Riggins. City Hall has not formally responded, other than written questions from Conrad.

One clear problem is the request for artificial turf right next to Malibu Legacy Park, a large stormwater capture and treatment pond. Artificial turf sheds microplastics, leaches toxic chemicals, and increases dirty stormwater runoff. Synthetic turf and crumb rubber contain hazardous substances including PFAS, heavy metals, and 6PPD from tires. Those chemicals leach out in water and weather and can reach local groundwater.

The proposal remains on the table. We'll bring you any response Wednesday.