The City of West Hollywood will hold a public meeting tonight to solicit opinions on the potential environmental impact of the proposed hotel at 8950 Sunset Blvd. In addition to obvious issues such as noise, air quality and hazardous materials, environmental impact reports on such projects include a look at their aesthetic impact and impact on water quality and traffic.
The hearing will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the conference room on the first floor of City Hall, 8300 Santa Monica Blvd. at Sweetzer.
An evaluation of the project in April 2014 by the Design Review Subcommittee of the city’s Planning Commission was largely favorable. “Its signature feature, an opening approximately 50 feet tall by 80 feet wide (is) a grand gesture to the street,” said Stephanie Reich, the city’s urban designer. “The design is a forward-looking modern design. With attention to detail and successful execution, it has the potential to become a jewel box highlighting the best qualities of the Sunset Strip.”
The effort to build the hotel on Sunset between Hilldale Avenue and Hammond Street has been going on for about 16 years. In 1999 the site was announced as the location for the Astra hotel. It then was purchased in 2005 for $16.5 million by the James hotel chain. But in 2013 a European hotel group bought the property for $28 million.
The hotel will be adjacent to the 9000 Sunset Blvd. office tower owned by the Mani Brothers Real Estate Group. It will contain 165 rooms in six stories as opposed to the 195 rooms proposed when the James hotel was contemplated for that site. It also will include two restaurants, a recording studio, a spa and a whiskey bar. It will have three levels of underground parking.
The architect is Three: Living Architecture of Dallas. Details of the plan are available online. Those not able to attend the meeting can submit comments in writing to Jennifer Alkire, senior planner in the city’s Community Development Department, City Hall, 8300 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90069. Her email address is [email protected] and her fax number is (323) 848-6487.
EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of this story said the meeting would be held Thursday. It has been corrected to state that it is tonight
FYI, according to a community member, it’s already been green lighted.
Concerns about anything on the roof and noise. As it is now noise from the clubs travels into the Norma Triangle neighborhood.
Hank – I think it would be a tremendous service to WeHoVille’s readers and WeHo residents to understand what happens between the City and a developer applicant during a two year gap from when the architecture is reviewed (in this case 2014) and when environmental review starts (2016). Given a straightforward EIR can easily take 9 mos. to a year from the scoping session (scheduled for this Thursday), this hotel project still has a long way to go before it becomes a reality (if it ever does after 16 years and multiple owners).
I’ll b going. I live just around the corner. My concern is the traffic on Hammond and Hilldale. According to the notice that I received in the mail, guest traffic will be on Hilldale and service traffic will be on Hammond. Hammond is very narrow on the north-bound side and it’s closed to through traffic at night. Hilldale, just below Sunset, is closed 24 hours a day. I feel sorry for the people who live right against this property and the ones who live next to the Marriott going up just a block away.
I think these renderings depict a structure unlike any hotel or other functional commercial building and I can see why. It is UGLY in the artists renderings, and finished projects all never look as good nor do they havr the dramatic theatrical appearance or experience to anyone going to or just passing by. The LOT(S) along the South side of the Sunset Strip have such unique potential to build a hotel with ALL rooms facing south in a taller tower that is actually grounded 3-4 floors below the Sunset street level due to the steep drop down/south of that prime… Read more »
This will not likely age well. One can see several examples of this architectural “concept” molting in various stages of lackluster around the hood. A stand out is just west of the Leland Bryant building at Harper & Fountain which was considered “forward thinking design”. The frosting g is from Three:Living Architecture inspired by a Thom Mayne Art Bridge grafted on for some entrance drama. Looks like it might be painful to sleep in this hotel. But wait, who sleeps on the Sunset Strip. Would three competent architects please step forward to endorse this project? Ok you can remain anonymous!