Judge Halts Project on Parking Lot

Beverly Hills merchants trying to preserve parking spaces in the city’s main business district claimed a victory Tuesday as a judge temporarily blocked construction of a $37-million commercial project on a municipal parking lot.

Superior Court Judge David Yaffe set aside the Beverly Hills City Council’s approval of the construction project, suggesting that an underground parking garage planned as part of the development would not sufficiently replace the capacity of the current surface lot. He ordered further study of the project.

Merchants had calculated that about 40% of the public parking spaces would disappear if the project was built. City officials had contended the subterranean garage would increase public parking by about 40%.

The issue was complicated because parking attendants cram the existing lot with cars, lining them up in tandem to fill the lot between Beverly and Canon drives.

“The merchants and homeowners have said for months this doesn’t offer enough parking. Today the judge vindicated our position. We’ve been right all along, there simply isn’t enough parking,” said Lisa Weinberg, attorney for the merchants.

Mitchell Abbott, a lawyer representing the city, said the City Council will decide whether to appeal Yaffe’s ruling.

In approving the 87,000-square-foot development last July 11, officials issued a declaration that the project would have negative environmental impacts. The judge ruled that statement inadequate and said the city either has to revise it or conduct a full-blown environmental impact report, Abbott said.

Either one will trigger another public hearing and a new vote by the City Council.

Merchant Fran Berger, owner of the Farm restaurant, said new hearings will give officials a chance to refine the development plan. “If they reduce the size of the project and expand its parking, we can all benefit from it,” Berger said Tuesday.