California housing officials are sending a message to the city of Beverly Hills: approve plans for a high-rise apartment building, or we’ll see you in court.
On Thursday, the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development sent a letter to the affluent city saying their failure to process an application for a 165-unit building just off Wilshire Boulevard “is in violation of state housing law.”
“The City Council should reverse its decision and direct city staff to process the project without further delay,” the department’s letter goes on to say.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said he expects local governments to do their part to address the state’s housing shortage. In a statement, Newsom said of Beverly Hills: “Their attempt to block this housing project violates the law. Now is a time to build more housing, not cave to the demands of NIMBYs.”
In response, Beverly Hills officials said they have not yet denied the project and their actions so far have been “procedural in nature.”
“Beverly Hills has until September 20, 2024 to submit a response to HCD’s letter and intends to provide HCD with detailed reasoning in support of its actions, which were taken in good faith,” city officials said in a statement.
The details of the project
The project in question is located at 125 Linden Drive. If approved, it would be one of the city’s tallest residential buildings at 200 feet. Twenty percent of the apartments would be reserved for low-income renters. The building would also include a hotel.
Developer Leo Pustilnikov first submitted the plans in October 2022 under a provision known as the “Builder’s Remedy.” This law…
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