WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS
READ INTO THE RECORD
Via Email Only
February 1, 2022
Honorable Mayor Wunderlich & Beverly Hills City Council City of Beverly Hills
455 North Rexford Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Dear Mayor Wunderlich and Members of the Beverly Hills City Council:
The Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce writes to you in support of the Sterling Organization project proposed at 317 N. Beverly Drive. The project has already received approvals from the City’s Planning and Architectural Commissions and will be a beautiful addition to the City’s commercial core.
In particular, the Chamber asks for your support of the company’s request for a Zone Text Amendment to the City’s Municipal Code to allow Sterling to utilize an above grade alternative parking facility (APF) in the form of an automated parking carousel.
The carousel has space for up to 12 vehicles and is intended to meet parking needs for the building. The carousel would be situated at least 40 feet back from the front property line and be fully enclosed. Moreover, the parking facility will ensure that patrons' safety is of primary importance. If a security barrier is crossed, the carousel will automatically shut down. During power outages and backup generator failures, vehicles will be lowered manually by pulling a brake release lever. Finally, on-site attendants will be available during business hours to assist in vehicle parking/retrieval.
In Beverly Hills, APFs are currently restricted in a number of ways. The proposed amendment will allow such facilities to be located above-grade, permit employee parking on site, allow such facilities to serve uses other than luxury products and services, extend the current pilot program to allow for more than two applications for such facilities, and allow the exemption of such facilities from a building’s height and floor area. The approval of this amendment to the Municipal Code will allow more flexibility to meet parking needs for this and future projects and will permit more economical and efficient parking options in the City. As a result, the Chamber believes Sterling’s innovative parking solution is worthy of your support and permitting similar solutions for future projects.
We respectfully request your support of Sterling’s request.
Todd Johnson
President and CEO
Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce