Residents and activists have fought the proposed Bulgari Hotel in Benedict Canyon since it was originally disclosed in 2018, arguing it would jeopardize the area’s ecosystem, endanger people by shutting off access to emergency vehicles, and privilege wealthy interests over Los Angeles locals. Bulgari is a subsidiary of LVMH, which has planned a luxury mixed-use complex in Beverly Hills’ Golden Triangle that has sparked debate and a vote.
On March 13, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky of the 5th District reiterated her opposition to the project. Yaroslavsky presented a proposal to the Planning and Land Use Management Committee opposing an amendment that would rezone the area and allow for the establishment of the hotel.
However, City Council has yet to decide on the change, and state-mandated environmental evaluations are proceeding. Proponents of the proposal, including developer Gary Safady and union officials, argue that delaying the project at this early stage would violate city rules.
Yaroslavksy’s proposal failed to gain a majority of votes after more than an hour of intense public comment at a PLUM committee meeting on March 21. The amendment to rezone the land will now be voted on by the entire City Council.
“The Bulgari Hotel idea is an outrageous and environmentally destructive concept that would construct a luxury playground for the ultra-wealthy high up in an environmentally sensitive, residential hillside town,” Yaroslavsky stated. “The project could result in bulldozers excavating tonnes of soil, endangering habitat, razing native plants and hundreds of protected trees, and harming the very beauty that this hotel is touting to its prospective audience.”
The resort would have 58 rooms and suites, eight private estates, a restaurant, a 10,000-square-foot spa, and a state-of-the-art gym, according to a 2021 Bulgari press release. Bulgari representatives did not reply to demands for comment.
TreePeople project manager Amanda Begley said the project would “create a disastrous precedent” for a protected area in the Santa Monica Mountains.
“The [Santa Monica Mountains]… have been preserved since the founding of Los Angeles.” We expect the PLUM Committee members to carry on this legacy. Please do not jeopardize vital open space for the sake of a luxury brand’s earnings.”
Stopping the project before a vote by City Council, according to Safady, would set another hazardous precedent. Environmental evaluations needed by the California Environmental Quality Act are ongoing, he added, and thousands of hours of work are required before the city can make a decision.
“Stopping the project in the middle of the process… indicates to Los Angeles businesses and investors that city procedures and due process guarantees will not be fairly followed,” Safady added.
Another anonymous public commenter said that Yaroslavksy’s move would “break state law, the city charter, and municipal code standards.”
Almost immediately after the idea was unveiled in 2018, residents and activists began organizing against it. The PLUM Committee postponed a vote on an earlier motion to oppose the rezoning proposal submitted by Yaroslavksy’s predecessor, former Councilman Paul Koretz, in September.
The City Council has not yet scheduled a vote on the proposal, but Yaroslavsky is hoping that council members would vote against it, according to spokesperson Leo Daube. If the City Council approves the amendment, the next steps will be determined by Los Angeles City Planning, according to Daube.
Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, 8th District, and Yaroslavsky voted yes on the motion during the PLUM Committee meeting, while Councilman John S. Lee, 12th District, and Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, 7th District, voted against it. Heather Hutt, the 10th District Councilwoman, was absent.
“We put forward this motion in the hopes of receiving unanimous approval [from the committee],” Daube explained. “We are very appreciative of the opportunity to advance to the full City Council for consideration.” Urge the Land Use Management Committee to oppose an amendment that would rezone the area and allow for the establishment of the hotel.