The Beverly Hills Planning Commission on Oct. 9 conditionally approved plans for three new Builder’s Remedy projects, all located at or near the corner of Olympic Boulevard and South Beverly Drive.
The plans include an 8-story mixed-use development at 9467 Olympic Blvd., another 8-story mixed-use development at 333-353 S. Beverly Dr. and a 13-story mixed-use development at 9441 Olympic Blvd. All three properties are owned by Samuel Aflalo of Olympic & Beverly, LLC and Fisch Properties, L.P.
“We appreciate staff’s diligence and the city attorney’s diligence as well, with respect to the project,” said Ryan Leaderman, an attorney representing the projects, at the Oct. 9 meeting. “As you know, we’re in a housing crisis. The city’s population has actually decreased over the past 50 years, and with that in mind, that’s one of the reasons why we have to strengthen housing laws right now.”
All three new developments take advantage of California’s Builder’s Remedy law, which allows new developments to bypass certain municipal building and zoning codes in exchange for providing affordable units if a city does not have an approved housing element in place.
There are currently 14 Builder’s Remedy projects in various stages of development in Beverly Hills.
Plans for the projects on Olympic Boulevard and South Beverly Drive were submitted in September 2024. The 9467 Olympic Blvd. lot, which is currently being used as a grocery store and parking lot, will house an 85-foot-tall building, 17,085 square feet of which will be designated for commercial and restaurant use.
Of 105 residential units in the building, 21 will be reserved for low-income households. The remainder, which will be available at market rate, will include a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. The development will feature a rooftop courtyard, private balconies and three levels of subterranean parking with 180 parking spaces.
The development on the approximately 38,500-square-foot South Beverly Drive lot, which is currently being used as office space and parking, will also feature an 85-foot building, with 16,099 square feet designated for commercial and restaurant use.
The 135 available residential units will include 27 designated for low-income households and a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units available at market rate. Three levels of subterranean parking will provide 263 parking spaces, and the building will include a gym, community room and rooftop courtyard with a pool.
At just over 143 feet, the development at 9441 Olympic Blvd. will be the tallest of the three. Currently, the site houses a two-story office building. When its new development is complete, it will feature over 4,000 square feet for commercial use, and 15 out of 75 total residential units will be designated for low-income households.
Echoing the sentiments of many Beverly Hills residents who will be impacted by Builder’s Remedy projects in the city, 24 households from a nearby block of El Camino Drive submitted a signed letter to the Planning Commission expressing their concerns about traffic and privacy.
The letter focused on the impacts of 333-335 S. Beverly Dr. and 9467 Olympic Blvd. Resident Ari Tuchman, who penned the letter, spoke at the Oct. 9 meeting. He emphasized that residents were not seeking to deny the developers their projects, but rather to place parameters on certain elements.
“Nobody’s denying anybody’s right to their use and enjoyment of the property, but I think Mr. Aflalo and Mr. Leaderman would agree that that’s a two-way street, and that it also applies to us as it applies to them,” he said. “Our letter is so reasonable and is so understanding, and we’re asking for so little.”
As approved, amplified sound will be prohibited in outdoor open space areas in all three developments. Common outdoor areas will be permitted to be used from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends and holidays, and barbecues on individual balconies will be banned.
Sound and sight barriers will also be required of all three properties, including a 6-foot sound barrier on rooftop areas facing residential properties and 4-foot opaque or translucent barriers on balconies and common outdoor living spaces.
There is now a 14-day appeal period during which anyone can file an appeal.
“If an appeal is filed, the next step would be a City Council hearing,” said Beverly Hills Director of Community Development Michael Forbes in an email to the Courier. “If no appeal is filed, the Planning Commission’s decision is final.”
The developer will then prepare and submit building plans to the city for review.
