Townscape Partners’ proposed development at 8150 Sunset Blvd., designed by Frank Gehry, was unanimously approved this week by the Los Angeles City Council.

Courtesy of Gehry Partners, LLP

“Our aim has been to create a timeless and important project that is genuine to L.A.’s creative and progressive identity, no better manifested than on the iconic Sunset Strip,” said Townscape partner Tyler Siegel. “The way people are living in L.A. and want to experience life in the city is changing, and we are very excited about creating a next generation project, together with Frank Gehry, that responds to this movement. We are very pleased that the city council and Council President Herb J. Wesson, Jr., along with Councilman [David] Ryu, his staff and the city of West Hollywood, recognize the need to beautify our environment with great art and architecture, to provide diverse housing options at various income levels and to focus development on enhancing the very personal experience of what it means to live in and enjoy this remarkable city.”

Last week, city officials and the developers agreed to reduce the overall scale of the project and include additional community benefits.

The approved plan now calls for five structures for commercial and residential use. The tallest structure was reduced to 178 feet, and the number of units was reduced to 229 units. Developers will also pay $2 million for additional traffic, pedestrian or bike improvements.

“Compromise is never easy,” said Ryu, who authored the list of conditions that developers agreed to meet. “But it’s a core virtue of our city and democracy.”

The councilman recognized that scale and impact of development are the most controversial issues throughout Los Angeles.

“Many have lost faith in the city’s planning process,” Ryu said. “My goal is to restore trust in the city, through meaningful community dialogue and participation, by refusing campaign contributions from developers, and by ensuring that our community plans are respected. I fought to the very end for all of you. And while this compromise isn’t perfect, 8150 Sunset Blvd. is a much better project today.”

When Ryu took office the project was set to be 234 feet tall. Now it is reduced by almost 25 percent.

“This project serves as a clear reminder that the city must revise its rules on how the state’s Density Bonus law (SB 1818) is applied,” he added. “I strongly believe that we are disproportionately incentivizing developers and that this exchange is not equitable for our residents. We must approach future projects that include affordable housing units with more common sense solutions to achieve better results for our city.”

Despite the compromise, groups that appealed the approval are expected to file lawsuits against the city for the project.