Westwood : Hotel Plan to Be Scaled Down

The Murdock Development Co. has announced it will scale down plans for a 14-story, 215-room luxury hotel as part of a last-minute attempt to win City Council approval for the project.

Faced with opposition from homeowners and Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, whose district includes Westwood, the company has asked for a 60-day delay of a council vote that was scheduled for Dec. 19, Yaroslavsky aide Ginny Kruger said. The firm is expected to use the time to complete plans for a smaller project that would generate less traffic near the busy corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Gayley Avenue.

Murdock spokesman Rudy Cole declined to give details on the new proposal except to say it would represent a compromise between Murdock’s original plan and a 118-room project endorsed by the city Planning Commission. Company President David H. Murdock will review the new plans before they are made public, Cole said.

As originally planned, the project would generate an additional 2,260 car trips per day, according to city traffic estimates. Homeowner groups have battled for two years to try to reduce the project, which would replace an existing gasoline station and car rental office.