City Council Motion Has Changed the Course of the Planned Luxury Hotel
By Dolores Quintana
Vince Bertoni, Director of City Planning, officially rescinded approval for the application for a General Plan Amendment for the Bulgari Hotel project, effectively putting an end to its advancement. This development is a pivotal moment three weeks after the LA City Council voted 8-6 to recommend this course of action for the Director a few weeks ago. Bertoni sent a letter to the developer of the project Gary Safady to inform him of the City’s decision.
CD 5 Los Angeles City Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky said, via a statement on her social media, “The City of Los Angeles hasn’t allowed a new hotel in these mountains in nearly 100 years, and thanks to hundreds of community and environmental leaders, it won’t anytime soon.” and, as quoted by The Los Angeles Times, “This is a monumental win for our mountains, and sends a clear message that our hillsides are worth defending.”
The hotel had reached the environmental review portion of the approval process before Councilmember Yaroslavky’s motion. Mike Gatto, Gary Safady’s lawyer, said, as quoted by The Los Angeles Times, that this action “sends a message to all looking to invest in Los Angeles that the city can’t be trusted to follow its own rules.”
Save Our Canyons, a community group made up of residents in Benedict Canyon, said, via an emailed statement, “Today is a testament to the determination of the entire Save Our Canyons community that has locked arms with the elected leaders, community groups, and environmental organizations in the region to protect the Santa Monica Mountains.”
