Legal Fees Awarded in Biltmore Case
A Hermosa Beach attorney who led the successful legal fight against developers of the Biltmore hotel site has been awarded $40,000 in legal fees in an out-of-court settlement.
Sheila Donahue Miller, who represented the Hotel Referendum Committee in the lengthy battle over the vacant city property, said she has received the first down payment from Greenwood-Langlois Development Co. of Pacific Palisades, with the rest due in installments over the next two years.
In 1984 and 1985, voters turned down proposals to build on the site by narrow margins. Michael Escalante, a resident supporting the developers’ proposals, filed a lawsuit challenging the validity of several ballots. A judge found that the builders had won by one vote, but that decision was overturned on appeal.
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