AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date: April 21, 2026
Item Number:
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Chloe Chen, Principal Planner
Deborah Hong, Associate Planner
Subject: ZONE TEXT AMENDMENTS OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY
HILLS TO AMEND THE BEVERLY HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE:
CLARIFYING, ADDING, OR CORRECTING LANGUAGE
RELATED TO ANCILLARY LIVING QUARTERS;
ARCHITECTURAL AND DESIGN REVIEW APPLICABILITY
AND COMMISSIONER REQUIREMENTS; DEVELOPMENT
PLAN REVIEW REQUIRED; DEMOLITION PERMIT FOR
RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS; ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT
WINDOWS; NEW CODE GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATING
EXISTING STANDARDS FOR FLOOR AREA EXCEPTION;
AND FINDING THE ORDINANCE TO BE EXEMPT UNDER
THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA)
Attachments: 1. Public Notice
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council:
1) Continue the public hearing to consider the ordinance entitled: “AN ORDINANCE
OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS TO AMEND THE BEVERLY HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE: CLARIFYING, ADDING, OR CORRECTING LANGUAGE RELATED TO ANCILLARY LIVING QUARTERS; ARCHITECTURAL AND DESIGN REVIEW APPLICABILITY; DEVELOPMENT PLAN REVIEW
REQUIRED; DEMOLITION PERMIT FOR RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS;
ACCESSORY DEWELLING UNIT WINDOWS; AND A NEW CODE GRAPHIC Meeting Date: April 21, 2026
ILLUSTRATING EXISTING STANDARDS FOR FLOOR AREA EXCEPTION” to the first City Council meeting in May 2026, as discussed and set at the study session meeting on April 21, 2026.
PUBLIC OUTREACH AND NOTIFICATION
Public notification for this project was provided pursuant to the requirements set forth in BHMC §10-3-2.5, et seq. Staff also provided a courtesy notice to the interested parties for Code Cleanup and Long Range Planning topics.
TABLE 1. PUBLIC NOTIFICATION TABLE
Notice Type Notice Date
Notice of Public Hearing
• Mailed Notice (500’ radius + block face; via first class mail) Not required • On-site Posted Notice Not required
• Newspaper Notice
Beverly Hills Courier
Beverly Press
3/27/2026
4/2/2026
Public Comment
No written comments have been submitted as of the writing of this report.
FISCAL IMPACT
No fiscal impact is anticipated as a result of approval of the zoning text amendments.
Michael Forbes, AICP
Director of Community Development
Approved By
Attachment 1
Public Notice
City Clerk's Office
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
The Council of the City of Beverly Hills, at its regular meeting to be held on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, in the Council Chamber of the City Hall, 455 N. Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, will hold a public hearing to consider:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS TO AMEND
THE BEVERLY HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE: CLARIFYING, ADDING,
OR CORRECTING LANGUAGE RELATED TO ANCILLARY LIVING
QUARTERS; ARCHITECTURAL AND DESIGN REVIEW
APPLICABILITY AND COMMISSIONER REQUIREMENT S;
DEVELOPMENT PLAN REVIEW REQUIRED; DEMOLITION
PERMIT FOR RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS; ACCESSORY DWELLING
UNIT WINDOWS; AND A NEW CODE GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATING
EXISTING STANDARDS FOR FLOOR AREA EXCEPTION; AND
FINDING THE ORDINANCE TO BE EXEMPT UNDER THE
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA)
The draft ordinance is intended to improve clarity, eliminate confusion, and streamline regulations of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code (BHMC) and align it with current state law. The amendments in the draft ordinance would affect topics including, but notlimited to:
• Ancillary Living Quarters (ALQ) – Define and acknowledge ALQ as an allowable use in the R -1 zones (BHMC §10-3-100, §10 -3-302, §10 -3-401,§10-3-501,§10-3-601,§10-3- 701, §10-3-801, §10-3-901,§10-3-1001, and§10-3-1101);
• Development Plan Review (DPR) – Simplify the introduction paragraph and clarify that DPR is required to increase the maximum floor area ratio by converting ground level parking to retail floor area in the Business Triangle as permittedby BHMC §10-3-2745 B (§10-3-3100);
• Architectural and Design Review Applicability and Commissioner Requirements – Restore the language regarding the applicability of architectural and design review to the original text prior to the merger of the architectural and design review commission to return City of Beverly Hills 455 N. Rexford Drive Beverly Hills, California 90210 t(310) 285-2400 f(310) 385-0862 BeverlyHills. org to the original intent. Replace the licensed landscape architect requirement for the Architectural and Design Review Commission with a landscape professional. (BHMC §10- 3-2426 B, §10-3-3002);
• Accessory Dwelling Unit Windows – Clarify that the minimum height requirement for windows, as measured from the finished floor to the bottom of the sill, is applicable for windows that face the side or rear property line and locatedon any floor ( BHMC §10-3- 5000 A.21);
• Demolition Permits – Align the process for issuance of a demolition permit for housing unit(s) with state law requirements(BHMC §10-3-4201); and • New Code Graphic – Add a graphic to the Zoning Code for the floor area exception for subterranean garage entrances(BHMC §10-3-2420,§10-3-2516,§10-3-2616, and §10-3- 100).
The Planning Commission previously reviewed this topic at the January 22, 2026 regular meeting and adopted Planning Commission Resolution No. 2114 unanimously recommending the City Council adopt the ordinance.
This summary of the ordinance is prepared and published in accordance with the requirements of Government Code §36933. A certified copy of the entirety of the text of the proposed ordinance will be available for review during normal business hours at the Office of the City Clerk Office located at City Hall, 455 N. Rexford Drive, Second Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 at least five days before the City Council will consider adoption of the ordinance.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This project has been assessed in accordance with the authority and criteria contained in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA, Public Resources Code Sections 21000 et seq.), the State CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Sections 15000 et seq.), and the environmental regulations of the City, and has been determined to be exempt from CEQA per Section 1501(b)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines, which applies the ‘general rule’ that CEQA does not extend to projects with no signif icant environmental effect, as the ordinance only entails modifications of the municipal code and does not involve a physical project. Additionally, the project is exempt under Section 15060(c)(2), because no direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical environmental changes are expected. As a result, staff recommends theCity Council find the draft ordinance exempt under these provisions from further environmental review under CEQA.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING
Please be advised that pre-entry metal detector screening requirements are now in place at City Hall. Members of the public are requested to plan visits accordingly. Members of the public may City of Beverly Hills 455 N. Rexford Drive Beverly Hills, California 90210 t(310) 285-2400 f(310) 385-0862 BeverlyHills. org participate in the meeting by attending in -person or telephonically, and may view the meeting through live webcast or BHTV Channel 10 on Spectrum Cable. City Council meetings are broadcast on local Beverly Hills television and on other media platforms. Anyone who participates at the meeting and/or enters the City Council Chamber is subject to having their image displayed.
These recordings will remain publicly accessible in perpetuity.
Public Comment Participation:
- Oral Comment/Listen only: (310) 288-2288
- Email: [email protected]
- Video (during public comment only): http://beverlyhills.org/comment - To Watch Video Live: http://beverlyhills.org/liveor
- On-Demand: http://beverlyhills.org/citycouncilmeetings - In-Person: Submit a Speaker Card to the City Clerk at the meeting How to Submit Public Comment (Email/Video):
It is recommended that public written comments be submitted to the City Clerk’s office by 12:00 p.m. on the meeting date. Public comments will also be taken during the meeting when the topic is being reviewed by the City Council/Parking Authority. Written comments should identify the Agenda Item Number or Topic in the subject line of the email. The City Clerk will read only the first three minutes (approximately 350 words) of a written comment. In the event of a large number of written comments on one item , written comments may be summarized by the City Clerk's Office. The entire written comment shall be archived in full as part of the record.
If a comment is received after the agenda item is heard, it will not be a part of the record. Public comment via video conference will be no longer than three (3) minutes per each individual comment, subject to City Council discretion based on the anticipa ted length in the meeting. Inperson speaker cards may be submitted to the City Clerk directly during the meeting.
Any interested person may participate in the meeting and be heard or present written comments to the City Council. According to Government Code Section 65009, if you challenge the Council’s action in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City, either at or prior to the public hearing.
In Person Participation:
All interested persons are invited to attend and speak on this matter in person. Please see the above information on the location and time of this meeting.
If there are any questions regarding this notice, please contact Deborah Hong , Associate Planner in the Planning Division of the Community Development Department at (310) 285-1174, or by City of Beverly Hills 455 N. Rexford Drive Beverly Hills, California 90210 t(310) 285-2400 f(310) 385-0862 BeverlyHills. org email at [email protected]. Please also contact us to add your email to the interested parties list for this ordinance, so that important updates and notifications may be sent to you.
HUMA AHMED
City Clerk
Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Beverly Hills will make reasonable efforts to accommodate persons with disabilities. If you require special assistance, please call (310) 285-2400 (voice) or (310) 285-6881 (TTY). Providing at least forty-eight (48) hours advance notice will help to ensure availability of services. City Hall, including the Council Chamber and Room 280A, is wheelchair accessible.
The City Hall Council Chamber and Room 280A are also equipped with audio equipment for the hearing impaired.