Beverly Hills : Hotel Make-Over Cleared

Clearing the way for the landmark Beverly Hills Hotel to close for renovation, a Superior Court judge has denied a neighbor’s request that the hotel prepare an environmental impact report before proceeding.

The 80-year-old hotel on Sunset Boulevard is scheduled to close Dec. 30 for a two-year make-over. The project, approved by the City Council in August, is intended to bring the hotel up to five-star status while maintaining its historical charm, hotel Manager Kerman Beriker told the council.

Leonard Green, who lives near the hotel on Glen Way, had sued the hotel and the city, seeking to block the renovation until an environmental study was made. He contended that two years of construction would have a negative impact on air quality, noise levels and traffic in the residential neighborhood.

The council voted not to require an environmental report, but imposed 104 requirements to mitigate the impact of the renovation. The hotel must pay for a city-hired historic preservation monitor and a construction monitor, and must establish a 24-hour hot line for residents to call with construction problems.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Stephen O’Neil ruled Friday that the measures are sufficient to ensure that the project will not have significant adverse environmental effects.