Beverly Hills Shuts Down Crescent Heights Builder’s Remedy

The City of Beverly Hills has rejected a proposed builder’s remedy project after allowing other projects in the enclave to proceed.

The Beverly Hills Planning Commission rejected the proposal from developer Crescent Heights to turn a currently empty lot at 8844 Burton Way into a 26-story building with 38 studio, two- and three-bedroom apartments, Urbanize Los Angeles reported. As part of its plan, the tower would have 22 units of affordable housing for extremely-low-income and moderate-income households in order to be eligible for the builder’s remedy.

Despite staff and the city attorney recommending approval, commissioners voted 3-2 to reject it, jumping on claims to reject it, citing concerns over its height and proximity to a transit hub.

Crescent Heights’ proposal was one of several builder’s remedy projects reluctantly accepted for review after Beverly Hills didn’t process them for more than a year. Unlike others that squeaked through, this one met fierce pushback.

Prior to the Wednesday meeting where the city brought down the hammer on Crescent Heights’ proposal, the developer reworked its plan to spread affordable units across more levels, trimming two stories off the height and offering translucent balcony designs to concerns about the building’s size and privacy. Still, commissioners weren’t convinced.

The design changes were contingent on an agreement for the City Council to not bring up the proposal for review and attempt to impose further conditions. The plan would have also been voided in the event of an appeal, which at least one neighbor vowed to do. As a result, a majority of commissioners were dissuaded from accepting a proposal with a contingency, citing opposition from neighbors and the scale of the project as reasons for their rejection.

Under its housing element, the city of Beverly Hills must plan to build 3,104 new housing units by the end of the decade.

— Chris Malone Méndez