The Beverly Hills City Council at its Sept. 30 meeting unanimously approved a draft ordinance that will amend the regulations of multifamily residential developments that govern objective design standards and approved a draft resolution to adopt objective design standards for certain multifamily housing projects.
The issue was taken under consideration by the city following the recent passage of several state laws that significantly limit the ability of cities to deny or reduce a housing development’s density based on subjective design criteria.
Until now, Beverly Hills has reviewed proposed housing projects on a case-by-case basis, relying on the Architectural and Design Review Commission’s subjective discretion to ensure high-quality design.
That process is no longer permitted under state law. Now, cities must base their approvals of housing projects only on objective standards, which are defined in a city staff report as “definitive, measurable, and consistently applicable across projects without personal judgment or discretion.”
Since November 2024, the draft ordinance has undergone reviews and revisions from members of the Planning Commission and the Architectural and Design Review Commission. The Planning Commission on Aug. 28 unanimously approved the draft ordinance that went before the City Council on Sept. 30.
By establishing objective standards for certain design elements, the proposed ordinance aims to maintain the quality of buildings and aesthetics in the city while still adhering to state law. The ordinance suggests measures by which to control building bulk, manage streetscape compatibility, limit noise and maintain a premium exterior quality of buildings, among other things.
The proposal does not change existing density, height or setback standards.
Some of the proposed standards, which would apply to multifamily housing developments with at least one affordable unit, include mandating that windows less than 8 feet from a property line be offset, angled or obscured; that rooftop decks adjoining housing have a setback from roof edges and a 6-foot clear sound wall; and that balconies near single-family interior lot lines have translucent railings.
Vinyl windows and siding, mirrored glass and faux-wood plywood would be prohibited.
Councilmembers noted during their discussion that the new ordinance is required under state law and voiced their appreciation for the work done by city staff to draft the language while taking care to maintain the character of the city.
“This was a huge undertaking,” said Mayor Sharona Nazarian. “We are in support. We agree with the recommendations that were made, which shows the thorough job that you all did to really preserve our community feel, so we are very grateful for that.”
This ordinance is the first phase of the effort to come into compliance with state law. The second phase will include the engagement of a consultant to expand and broaden objective design standards by the end of 2026.
In other news, the council voted unanimously to adopt the city’s final offer with the Management and Professional Employees Association, with which it has been in negotiations for several months.
At issue was how many categories an employee would need to exceed expectations in a performance review in order to earn a bonus. The city proposed four out of eight, and the union, which represents approximately 142 city employees, proposed three out of eight.
Speaking at the Sept. 30 meeting, Tania Schwartz, the Management and Professional Employees Association President, called the city’s proposal a “clear departure from the historical standard.”
Negotiations for the next Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the city and the union will start in approximately six months.
At the end of the meeting, Councilmember Craig Corman took over the vice mayorship from Vice Mayor John Mirisch. The exchange reflected a decision made by the council in February to split the position, allowing Corman and Mirisch to serve six months each of the 2025-26 term.
