L.A. Homeowners Ask Beverly Hills to Include Them

A group of Los Angeles residents wants to live in Beverly Hills, but they want to do it without leaving their homes.

Determined to be a part of the city with the famous 90210 zip code, the homeowners of Hillgreen Drive hope to enlarge the Beverly Hills city limits to include their houses.

Last week, residents of the Century City-adjacent cul-de-sac renewed their plea for annexation, asking the Beverly Hills City Council to return to an issue that has been dormant for more than two years.

The meeting reopened the debate about the benefits of allowing the 10 properties into the city. The annexation would also include a large alleyway that runs west of Hillgreen, and a portion of two properties that straddle the city boundary.

Los Angeles resident Abe Knobel, who has coordinated the annexation efforts, said the move would be a “win-win situation” for Los Angeles and Beverly Hills.

For the Los Angeles residents of Hillgreen, he said, the annexation would mean a safer neighborhood because Beverly Hills police and fire departments have nearby stations and can provide quicker response than Los Angeles.

Some Beverly Hills residents also support the annexation because it includes an alleyway that runs behind dozens of Beverly Hills homes, Knobel said. Previously, Beverly Hills homeowners have said they want to annex the alley so it will be patrolled by local police, not the Los Angeles Police Department.

But, as in the past, Tuesday’s debate boiled down to one issue: money.

City Manager Mark Scott estimated it would cost the city about $10,000 for preliminary annexation studies--monies, he said, that should be paid up front by the residents.

Mayor Allan Alexander asked city staff to return to the neighbors with an outline of the costs so Hillgreen residents can decide if they want to continue the effort.

After the meeting, Knobel said he and his neighbors would be reluctant to pay the estimated $10,000, unless they are assured the annexation would go through.

Residents could also face additional costs of more than $260,000 to cover Beverly Hills’ replacement of water and sewer lines and other infrastructure.