The provision allows projects to bypass local zoning rules if jurisdictions are out of compliance with state housing goals.
By NICK TROMBOLA for Commercial Observer
Proposed high-rise projects are in the works for Beverly Hills as developers take advantage of a controversial California state housing law that allows developers to circumvent local discretion and gain approval for affordable housing projects in jurisdictions that aren’t meeting their mandated goals.
Soundview Investment Partners wants to build a 17-story mixed-use tower with 56 units that would replace a two-story office building along Rodeo Drive, Urbanize reported. Max Netty, the local real estate investor leading the project, is seeking approval via the “Builder’s Remedy” provision at 145 South Rodeo Drive.
Netty declined a request for comment from Commercial Observer.
The Builder’s Remedy provision was enacted in 1990 to help developers secure approvals on projects with 20 percent low-income units or 100 percent moderate-income units if a given city or locality is not in compliance with the state’s housing goals. Beverly Hills is one of the 174 jurisdictions currently out of compliance with California’s housing elements, according to the most recent data from the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The city has thus far failed to obtain certification from the department for its housing plans, creating an opening for developers to fast-track the types of projects rarely seen in one of L.A.’s richest areas.
