W. Hollywood, Hotel Backers Keep Talking

Developers and West Hollywood city officials, at loggerheads over the proposed 11-story Ma Maison hotel across from the Beverly Center, have agreed to tell each other what they are going to do next before taking any action that would affect the hotel plans.

The two sides met last week after a West Hollywood City Council member said the city attorney had been instructed to pursue “whatever legal options are available” to halt the project, which is to be located across the city line in Los Angeles. Developers hope to break ground on it early next year.

“There have been no breakthroughs (agreements) and no lawsuits as of yet,” said Paul Koretz, an aide to City Councilman Alan Viterbi.

At their meeting, West Hollywood officials and the developers agreed to talk further about traffic and parking problems that may arise from the hotel and restaurant complex that would abut a residential neighborhood in the new city.

“We are not in the city of West Hollywood, but I understand their problems and we certainly want to accommodate them to the best of our ability,” said Patrick Terrail, owner of the Ma Maison restaurant, which is expected to move to the new location from its Melrose Avenue site.

The project is scheduled to open in early 1987.

Despite complaints from some residents about potential noise, parking and shadows from the proposed 11-story building, Terrail said, “I think everybody in their neighborhood will welcome this, because it will clean up a lot that’s been sitting there with a bunch of shacks for years.”

The site includes the 39-year-old Tail o’ the Pup, a hot dog-shaped hot dog stand whose future is up in the air.

Eddie Blake, operator of the stand, has been told to vacate the property. But developer Sheldon Gordon said in an interview last month that the stand would be allowed to stay although he doubts that it would survive, given the shortage of parking in the area.