Beverly Hills Approves More Builder’s Remedy Projects

More builder’s remedy projects in Beverly Hills are moving forward after additional approvals from the Beverly Hills Planning Commission.

On Tuesday, the city’s Planning Commission gave the green light to two builder’s remedy projects in the Los Angeles-area enclave, Urbanize Los Angeles reported.

The first development is a 12-story, approximately 124-foot-tall building at 346 North Maple Drive being pursued by a joint venture between developer Leo Pustilnikov and Oak Investment Company, an affiliate of Beverly Hills-based Dromy International Investment Corporation. The plan is to replace an existing two-story, eight-unit residential building with a 65-unit residential tower containing studio, one- and two-bedroom units above a 15-car garage. The 346 Maple project will have to provide 13 units of low-income affordable housing in order to qualify for builder’s remedy.

Back in August, a Los Angeles County superior court judge ruled that Beverly Hills violated state housing law by trying to block Pustilnikov’s proposal for a 19-story apartment building with a hotel and restaurant at 125-129 South Linden Drive. Pustilnikov explained his thought process in challenging the city at The Real Deal’s Building Back L.A. roundtable event in September.

“It’s the Roosevelt approach: Speak softly and carry a big stick,” he said, referring to former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt.. “Beverly Hills is doing it to themselves. They had an opportunity to just have Linden, and they refused to cooperate and now they have 12 projects.”

Near the 346 North Maple site, DH 1821 Daly received approval for an 11-story development at 401 North Oakhurst Drive, which would rise approximately 131 feet, with 25 two-bedroom apartments, including five low-income units. The residences will be built above parking for 14 vehicles.

Both the Maple and Oakhurst developments are being designed by Ottinger Architects.

The latest approvals come a week after the Planning Commission took up three other builder’s remedy applications at locations near the intersection of Beverly Drive and Olympic Boulevard. As with those applications, the City either couldn’t make the findings required to deny the proposals for 346 Maple and 401 Oakhurst or is prohibited by state housing law from rejecting them.

— Chris Malone Méndez