On July 9, the Beverly Hills City Council upheld the approval of an eight-story, 56-unit building at 9229 Wilshire Blvd., despite residents’ complaints that the massive structure is out of character with the surrounding neighborhood.
Council members sympathized with residents’ worries about how the project will impact privacy, traffic, noise and quality of life, but said that their hands were tied by state housing law.
“This project is too large, but it’s a legal project,” said Mayor Lester Friedman. “Yes, we have a job to reflect the values of our community, but we also have the responsibility to follow the California law. We can’t go against it, because if we do and there’s a lawsuit, then the city has to pay for defending a lawsuit.”
The project was approved by the Planning Commission in a Feb. 8 meeting and subsequently appealed by local resident Aria Ahdoot, who alleged that the commissioners erred in waiving the story requirement for the building.
“It is imperative that we uphold the integrity of our zoning regulations and prioritize the well-being of our community over the interests of developers,” wrote Ahdoot in his appeal letter. “I implore you to listen to the concerns of residents and reject this ill-conceived project.”
While zoning regulations around the project site only allow for a maximum of three stories, the developers are planning an eight-story building with ground-floor retail space. This is made possible by a state density bonus law that allows projects with a certain number of affordable units to deviate from local zoning restrictions. In this case the project is reserving six of its 56 units for very low-income households.
Ahdoot also alleged that the city improperly granted the project an exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act and raised concerns that the planned indoor residential amenity space could be converted into an ADU.
Staff analyzed these complaints, but found they held no legal grounds for denying the project and recommended that council uphold the Planning Commission’s approval.
Many residents who live near the project site attended the meeting and shared their worries for their neighborhood.
“We’re concerned about the height, we’re concerned about the size, and we’re concerned about the traffic flow and the accidents that may happen,” said Fred Blum, who lives in an adjacent property. “Please decrease the height and size and create a project that fits with what we have in this area.”
Council members thanked the residents young and old for coming out to the meeting and sharing their fears.
“These are very challenging moments for us as council members because we want to thank you all for coming out and we want to support your concerns, but unfortunately times are changing and these are not changes or regulations that we who are sitting up here have brought on our community,” said Vice Mayor Sharona Nazarian.
Nazarian encouraged several of the younger public speakers not to be discouraged by council’s decision and to continue being civically involved and advocating for the changes they want to see in their community.
“Layla, Sophia, Asher and Adam, I want to encourage you all to please get involved,” she said. “We want to see you involved and more active in our community, because it’s leaders like you that will be able to change these laws in Sacramento.”
Councilmember Mirisch made a similar plea, calling on residents to bring their concerns to state legislators and advocate for the return of local control over zoning.
“If you don’t like these policies, you can vote out the Sacramento politicians who are implementing them and elect new ones who happen to believe in community,” he said. “You can also consider supporting the Our Neighborhood Voices initiative, which would restore urban planning to cities and communities by enshrining local land use planning in the state constitution.”
