Skanska representatives said the firm will take steps to mitigate parking and rooftop usage concerns. (rendering courtesy of Skanska)

Following hours of deliberation and public comment, the Beverly Hills Planning Commission approved a proposal on Aug. 10 from development firm Skanska to build an approximately 25,600-square foot commercial building at 8633 Wilshire Blvd., the vacant site of former waffle shop Bru’s Wiffle, after making changes to the building’s rooftop operations.

The three-story, 60-foot tall curved building features large floor-to-ceiling windows, a rooftop lunchroom with a wrap-around terrace and an automatic parking facility, the first of its kind in the city.

Dozens of public commenters spoke both against and in favor of the project, with the parking garage and rooftop emerging as the biggest points of contention.

One resident who said she’s lived on a street adjacent the project for 20 years expressed concerns that it could cause congestion on the road and that the garage might experience technical failures.

Resident Scott Jackson said he fully supports the project, adding that it would increase the city’s tax revenue and increase foot traffic on a section of Wilshire Boulevard near Metro’s Purple Line Extension subway project.

“I’m also a huge fan of the garage,” he added.

Another resident supportive of the project highlighted the environmental benefits of the parking garage.

According to Skanska executive Clare De Briere, the automatic parking system would reduce construction by more than two months, thereby eliminating 700 “truck trips” throughout the neighborhood.

She added that the garage will accommodate 76 spaces, and has a smaller physical footprint than what was initially proposed, which will also mitigate “carbon impacts.”

Residents also expressed concerns about potential nuisances stemming from the rooftop uses, as other rooftop dining and entertainment areas in the city have led to complaints and city violations.

De Briere said the rooftop would only be open to people who work in the building, and that it would only be open during the building’s hours of operation. The proposal limited rooftop hours to 9 a.m.-8 p.m. A previous suggestion to include foosball tables on the rooftop was removed from the proposal, De Briere said.

“Anytime the employees are working in the building, they’ll have access to that space,” De Briere added. “I think post-Covid a lot of people learned that they liked working outside so I think you’ll have a lot of people working on their computers, taking impromptu meetings in that space, having their coffee, chit chatting with their with their fellow employees. There’s not an intention to have that space be for anything other than outdoor work … finding rest space in the sun for employees of that building.”

Commissioner Myra Demeter said she came into the hearing with reservations about the project’s rooftop, parking and security, but was satisfied by Skanska’s response and approved the project with conditions including shorter rooftop hours ending at 6 p.m. She also said she did not support allowing the tenants to deliver food to the rooftop.

Commissioner Peter Ostroff agreed with Demeter that the rooftop hours should be limited from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. but had no objection with workers delivering food, and said he “was relying on Skanska” to ensure the parking garage functions well.

“If this parking thing doesn’t work out exactly as you expected you will have a lot more problems than anybody,” Ostroff said. “I can’t imagine the company would have selected something that you didn’t have tremendous confidence in.”

The revised project will now go before the City Council for final approval, and the planning commission’s decision is appealable until Aug. 25.