The deputy chairman of the commission, Jeff Wolfe, pointed out that the renderings only slightly larger than the building in the north (to the right). However, the development would be almost twice as high – 86 foot compared to 45 feet. (With the kind permission of Kevin Tsai Architecture)
On March 13, the Beverly Hills Planning Commission approved a review of the development plan and a density-bonus permit for a seven-story building with mixed use in 55 N. La Cienega Blvd. After a discussion that lasted almost four hours, the Commission approved the project with 3: 2 votes with additional conditions.
The site – currently a free building and a parking space – is located opposite the U -Bahn station Metro Wilshire/La Cienega, which is located under construction and will be opened later this year. The stinking rose, a garlic -centered restaurant, was previously on the property.
The project was proposed by the developer Abraham Assil and designed by Kevin Tsai Architecture. It comprises 140 residential units with 19,055 square foot on the ground floor for retail and restaurant use. A three -story low -point structure contains 172 fields.
Living within the project comprises four studio apartments, 111 units with a bedroom and 25 units with two bedrooms. While a building at the location is usually limited to 70 units, the project uses the state's density approval that enables more units in exchanging difficult living space. The project comprises 22 affordable residential units, whereby 11 tenants are reserved with low income and 11 are reserved for those with moderate income.
On the roof level there is a lounge outdoors and a living area, a bar and kitchen outdoors, the kitchen, the pool, a sun deck and the toilets. According to a city report in the city, the open space on the roof on the single -family houses in the west would not have a direct line of sight, since the structures on the west side of the roof line.
Assil has submitted various iterations of a similar project on site since 2016. In 2021, the planning commission rejected plans that a hotel with 216 rooms would have brought into the location. In 2023, the planning commission approved the plans of Assil for a six -story project with 105 residential units. However, the state's densification law was changed in January 2024 to allow additional units. Assil revised the project in order to contain a total of 140 units into more affordable apartments.
The final project approved by the planning commission is approximately 20 feet higher than the version approved in 2023. In addition, the new version has 11,200 fewer square meters of outside space.
Assil described the project as a “catalyst for changes” in the southeastern quarter of Beverly Hills. He said the development was aimed at the next generation of Beverly Hills residents.
“The [adult] Children of this city do not have the opportunity to rent or have a place where they can call at home because it cannot afford, “said Assil. Those who stay near their older parents and want to be part of the community in the future were developed for them.”
The project burdens the single-family houses on the Le Doux Road to the west, which spoke many concerns from neighbors. Several residents rejected the project in public comments.
“All of this is too much. Everything should be done in reason, that's all we ask,” said Sherol Manavi, local Leoder -rade. “The development is absolutely fine, but it would mean a lot to keep this at a much lower level of development.”
In addition, 19 residents of Le Doux Road signed a letter to the planning commission that opposed the project. The residents asked for the commission to issue several conditions for the project, including no balconies on the side of the building that opposes the backyards of the houses on the Le Doux Road, reinforces the setbacks and restrict the use of the room on the roof. In the letter it was also found that some residents hesitated to sign him for fear of retaliation.
“The last time that the residents of the North Le Doux Road publicly commented on this project, some felt harassed,” the letter said.
Assil strongly rejected the letter, which he described as a “character murder”. He explained that if he would agree to inquiries, the development would be a “prison”. He also contested that he had molested the residents of the Le Doux Road and said that he had not shown himself to the neighbors in the most recent development process, for fear that it would be considered a harassment.
Some planning commissioners have questioned themselves with Assil's behavior towards the residents.
“I have some problems,” said Ross. “I have some problems with the way this team of applicants gets to us without doing the neighbors to the neighbors, with a complete – in my head – the neighbors and without empathy.”
The deputy chairman of the commission, Jeff Wolfe, brought up a visual discrepancy in the renderings provided by the applicant. In the renderings, the development is only slightly larger than the building in the north. In reality, however, the development would be almost twice as high – 86 feet compared to 45 feet.
Assil and the architect Tsai insisted that the discrepancy was a mistake and that they created the renderings without finding precise measurements of the adjacent building.
“We took the building next to our proposed development,” said Tsai.
“It only seems to be strange when an architect would make such a dramatic mistake when it comes to something like a building,” said Wolfe. “I can imagine another reason why this was drawn in this way, and that should deliberately mislead the relative height of this building to the surrounding buildings. This would also be another reason to do this – to cause this commission to mislead the public and to make it look a bit higher than the building next door if it is actually two double men in size.”
Tsai deliberately contested the level of development in the renderings and described the error as “oversight”.
The Commission finally agreed to approved the project with additional conditions, including: a 20-foot data protection box is planted in the immediate west of the building in order to offer the residents of the Le Doux Road privacy. The reinforced sound is banned on all outdoor spaces – including the balcony and balconies -; A sound barrier of six feet must be installed on the west side of the roof. On each balcony on the west side of the building, a four -foot barrier must be installed to prevent the view of the nearby properties. And the use of grill grills is prohibited on every balcony and on the roof.
Ross and Wolfe voted against the project. Each stated that they believed that the conditions were not sufficient to fix further concerns, including a kitchen on the roof and the height of the project.
The development will replace a parking lot and a free building that was once the smelly rose restaurant. (Photo by Tabor Brewster)