It seems like the battle over overdevelopment never ceases. Only this time, the residents of Beverly Hills are being outspent 20-1.
It’s one of the richest men in the world against renters and homeowners. Sadly, even former mayors are on his payroll as paid lobbyists.
Regrettably, the Beverly Press is the only local newspaper [with] the journalistic integrity to present both sides.
Would you kindly publish this letter? It would do much to deflate the bogus renderings and mistruths that the opposition continues to spread.
We who have made Beverly Hills our home are continually threatened by developers who are motivated by only one thing, their profit. The threat is now extreme, a nine-story hotel in the middle of our shopping district in total disregard of all our traditional safeguards which have protected us for decades. It’s time to draw a line. NO MORE!
The Cheval Blanc developers have taken out all the stops. Their money is flowing in an attempt to convince us they are doing this for us. Are they kidding? Ads in the Courier, personal phone calls, mailers, paid-for lobbyists which sadly include several of our former mayors.
They have promoted fanciful hotel renderings that deceptively conceal the massive nine stories in place of the two-story former Tommy Hilfiger store and the beautiful and communal Paley Museum of Radio and Television.
Cheval Blanc is a huge under-parked project that exacerbates the already impacted traffic and congestion in the center of our Golden Triangle.
Beverly Hills is unique. Our city attracts visitors and shoppers by providing a comfortable upscale environment. Impacting our shopping area with an overshadowing, out of scale nine-story hotel with its continuous traffic impacts will significantly change the resident and visitor experience in our Golden Triangle.
Mimicking high-rise West Hollywood or the concrete jungle in downtown Los Angeles will destroy the charm and accessibility of Beverly Hills and will open the floodgates to new oversized, code violating development.
As residents of our city, we support responsible and compatible development. Projects that enhance, not negate the uniqueness of our city.
As residents, our vote gives us the choice.
The Cheval Blanc project will permanently change our city’s landscape and must be rejected. Please consider joining your fellow residents: vote no to massive overdevelopment. Vote No on Measures B and C.
Victor Bardack
past president
Beverly Hills North HOA
Louis Lipofsky
past vice president
Beverly Hills North HOA
1 Comment
The beverly Wilshire Hotel has 10 floors on the Wilshire Wing and 14 floors on the Beverly Wing. The Bank of America Building has 12.
Cheval Blanc would have 9. All a stones throw from one another. What is the real issue here, one must wonder…
It’s a luxury hotel that will generate jobs and considerable revenue for the city. The very revenue which will improve city services for all. It will additionally increase business spend and revenue for neighboring and supporting businesses-oh and um…more jobs. Have these guys taken a walk around downtown Beverly Hills and witnessed the vacant retail fronts? Plenty. This boring block with 2 ugly abandoned buildings would transform the area in many positive ways. The alternative? 2 ugly buildings that are generally vacant. So it adds a little traffic to the area. Big deal. We deal with traffic living here. The positives far outweigh the negatives.
The Paley Museum has been closed for years now. The Tommy Hilfiger building has been home to random pop-up events. What the area now mimics is a sad, abandoned ghost town.
Furthermore we have been inundated with uninvited and frankly, harassing folks who ring our doorbell and knock on our door, repeatedly- pushing and pleading for us to object this project.
Its hilarious Victor Bardack is calling out the threat of developers “who are motivated by one thing, their profit” When he himself just sold off his slum style real estate portfolio for a hefty sum of $72.7 Million. Care to share what your profit was, since purchased over 30 years ago? Do you care that evictions are imminent for the over 212 units with hundreds of residents that will be displaced for the new owner which will be upgrading for luxury units? Lest we have the pot calling the kettle black here…
https://therealdeal.com/la/2021/03/01/westside-apartment-portfolio-fetches-73m/
Vote yes on B and C. These people, along with the Union pushing to vote no, clearly have ulterior motives…