Appeal Hearing Set for Proposed Hotel

Dana Hollister, a developer and designer, wants to transform the vacant estate at the top of Micheltorena Street in Silver Lake into a urban getaway: an exclusive, 35-room hotel with a spa, restaurant and 360-degree view.

Her plans have been rejected twice by city officials, but a hearing is set for Nov. 19 before the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Hollister believes she is close to making sure that all the neighbors who live around the 4 1/2-acre property will be content with her latest plans. To give residents a chance to air their concerns, she and architect Douglas Stanton are inviting neighbors to an open house this weekend at the estate.

At past hearings, several residents expressed fear of traffic and other noise problems from the property.

The working name for the spa is the “Hotel 1923,” which is the street address of the estate as well as the year it was built, Hollister said.

The estate was built for the daughter of a wealthy socialite, and in the 1940s Franciscan nuns made it into a home for girls.