Westwood : Hotel Proposal Delayed

A Los Angeles City Council committee on Tuesday delayed consideration of a proposal to vacate a small portion of Beverly Boulevard for the Ma Maison Hotel project.

Several homeowner groups requested the delay shortly after Friends of Westwood, a residents group concerned about growth, filed a request with the Department of Building and Safety to stop construction of the hotel until the city reviews parking requirements for the project and holds a public hearing.

The department has set no date to consider the request. If the request is denied, Friends of Westwood said they will appeal the decision to the Board of Building and Safety Commissioners.

“The community only heard of this action yesterday,” Laura Lake, president of Friends of Westwood, told the Public Works Committee. “We are seeing piecemeal approvals, shutting out the community.”

The city’s planning and transportation departments had approved the hotel proposal, and a city engineer told the committee that the process was being handled properly. But Councilwoman Joy Picus, concerned about questions raised by Lake, asked for a two-week postponement.