Westwood : Firm Appeals Planners’ Vote

The Murdock Development Co., which plans to build a 14-story, 215-room luxury hotel at the southwest corner of Westwood Village, has appealed an action by the Los Angeles Planning Commission that would reduce the project to about half of its proposed size.

City hearing examiner Bob Rogers said the appeal is expected to result in a City Council vote on the project sometime in November. He said the appeal, filed earlier this month, was received just before a city deadline that would have made the commission action final. The commission’s vote in September set the maximum size of the hotel at 116 rooms.

Homeowners spokeswoman Laura Lake, who has led efforts to scale down the project on heavily traveled Wilshire Boulevard, told city officials late last week that the appeal was filed a day too late to bring the project before the council. Lake said the appeal period should have ended Oct. 2, 15 days after the commission prepared a letter to Murdock officials formalizing the outcome of the vote.

The company filed its appeal Oct. 3.

Murdock officials, however, were able to show evidence that the commission’s letter was not mailed on the day it was written, Rogers said. After reviewing a postmarked envelope and consulting with attorneys, city officials decided to accept the appeal, he said.