Mixed-use projects are now allowed on all four corners of Wilshire and La Cienega boulevards. (photo by Cameron Kiszla)

After multiple meetings and months of discussions and debate, the Beverly Hills City Council officially approved a mixed-use overlay zone on Nov. 10.

City Council discussion of the topic had spanned the Oct. 13 and 27 meetings without a resolution, but now with the ordinance approved, mixed-use projects will be allowed on portions of Wilshire Boulevard, La Cienega Boulevard, Robertson Boulevard, Olympic Boulevard, South Doheny Drive, San Vicente Boulevard, South Santa Monica Boulevard and South Beverly Drive with only Planning Commission approval instead of a full City Council vote. Appeals of mixed-use projects will still be heard by the City Council.

The one dissenter in the 4-1 vote was Councilman John Mirisch, who raised multiple issues with the ordinance. Mirisch expressed support for land-value recapture, as he claimed that the ability to build mixed-use projects without City Council approval would make properties more valuable and the city should be compensated through the inclusion of open space, public parking and other perks in mixed-use projects.

“Not engaging in land-value recapture … it’s a form of corporate welfare and it’s a developer giveaway,” Mirisch said.

Mirisch also referred to a letter from Santa Monica-based attorney Frank Angel, who wrote to the City Council on behalf of his clients, the Save Beverly Hills Committee and Beverly Hills resident Darian Bojeaux, a vocal opponent of the mixed-use ordinance.

“The ordinance allows more than the proverbial camel of uncontrollable new development to get its nose inside the city’s tent,” Angel said.” It is a Trojan horse at the city’s gates, not filled with gifts but with adverse environmental and health effects, loss of quality of life and diminished value of local environmental amenities for your constituents.”

The blue areas denote where mixed-use projects are allowed in Beverly Hills with Planning Commission approval. (map courtesy of the city of Beverly Hills)

City Attorney Laurence Wiener and other city staff members disagreed with Angel’s analysis, but Mirisch wanted the council to hold off on voting in order to “do further due diligence.” Mayor Lester Friedman disagreed with Mirisch.

“I do appreciate the minority view of Mr. Angel … if you pay for it, you can get an opinion that opposes the city attorney or the city’s view. I think that’s what we’ve gotten here,” Friedman said.

Friedman also pointed to a provision proposed by Councilwoman Lili Bosse in which the mixed-use ordinance will be reexamined in six months, and again six months after that.

“The fact that we can review it in the future is important also,” Friedman said.

Bosse said the inclusion of the review period was important in her decision to support the mixed-use ordinance, though she added that allowing more mixed use in the city has benefits of its own, and not just the ability of the city to better satisfy the state mandate to plan for 3,143 new housing units before 2029 as part of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment.

“I see mixed use as a positive for our community. It promotes healthy living, housing for seniors, affordable housing, smaller units, less driving, less traffic, it promotes the village-style mix of retail, restaurants and different types of housing,” Bosse said.

Councilman Julian Gold and Vice Mayor Robert Wunderlich agreed with Bosse’s assessment.

“The one thing that we lack is the pedestrian [perspective], and here we have the ability to really create [a pedestrian-friendly environment] … It does create community, it does create walkability. In the area of the Metro, it allows for a lifestyle that is not dependent upon the automobile,” Gold said.

Wunderlich added that the mixed-use overlay zone will help prevent confusion for residents and developers and avoid situations where each individual project requires full City Council approval.

“I think that having an overall plan for mixed use is better than one-off zoning. I think it will be an economic benefit for the city,” Wunderlich said.