Planning Commission to Consider Rooftop Restaurant of Equinox Fitness on Sunset

The West Hollywood Planning Commission will consider on Thursday a proposal by Equinox Fitness to create an outdoor rooftop restaurant at its location at 8590 Sunset Blvd., along with an expansion into 2,099 of adjacent vacant space on the second floor of its building.

The restaurant would be exclusive to members of Equinox, a luxury gym that was the site of a recent public protest after it was revealed that it is owned by a company controlled by Stephen Ross, who recently organized a major fundraiser on Long Island for Donald Trump’s re-election campaign.

The proposal has attracted opposition from nearby residents who are concerned about the noise the outdoor restaurant might generate. In response, Equinox has agreed to ban the use of cellphones on the southern edge of the restaurant and has conducted a noise study that concluded that there would be no excessive noise from that location. In addition, if restaurant operations result in significant off-site noise, a sound buffering acoustic wall may be required to reduce or eliminate noise, says a report by the city’s Planning and Development Services Department.  It will serve alcohol drinks, with the Planning staff recommending that the sale end a half-hour before the closure of the gym — 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 9 p.m. on Fridays and 7:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

The existing gym occupies approximately 43,000 square feet, which includes 16,435 square feet on the first floor and 26,182 square feet on the second floor. The first floor currently contains a juice bar, reception area, retail, sales offices, kids club, group fitness, cycling, cardio, strength training, and stretching areas. The second floor consists of locker/shower rooms, a spa lobby and lounge, yoga, and hamam areas, a pilates room, and cardio, strength, and stretching areas. The rooftop is currently unoccupied and contains mechanical equipment.

In its memo, the Planning Commission, the Planning Department staff says it “recommends the approval of this restaurant because it will serve the needs of fitness club members who are local business people, visitors, shoppers, and residents of West Hollywood. The surrounding commercial uses are attracting more people to the area and consequently, generating an expanded local workforce and increasing the day and night time population. This population seeks a diversity of services, such as those that the restaurant will provide to members of the health club.”

The Planning  Commission will also consider modifications that it had requested in an earlier meeting to a resolution permitting the construction of a preschool building at 972 N. San Vicente Blvd. The modifications are intended to address concerns by nearby residents that cars will be lined up on the already-busy boulevard as parents arrive to drop off and pick off children in the underground parking structure.  The school must provide a ventilation report for the subterranean parking garage to the city’s Planning Director. If cars are queuing up on San Vicente Boulevard regularly, it must “modify the operation to make parking spaces available to parents or caregivers and implement other options, including, but not limited to providing an additional 30-minute time slot for drop-off and pick-up to the satisfaction of the Planning Commission,” the staff memo says.

The Planning Commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday at the City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., south of Santa Monica.  Parking is free in the five-story structure behind the Chambers with a ticket validated at the meeting.