An eight-story, 55-unit apartment building will rise at 232 S. Tower Drive after the Beverly Hills City Council voted Tuesday, July 21, 2026, to uphold the project's approval and reject an appeal from neighboring homeowners.
The council's decision ends a nine-month fight over the Builder's Remedy development proposed by Beachside Suites LLC and Oak Investment Co. LLC. Oak's principal is Leo Pustilnikov. The Carthay Beverly Hills Neighbors, a group of residents from both Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, had argued the project violates local zoning, state environmental law, and federal policies.
It didn't matter. A city staff report concluded that state law left the council with almost no authority to block the project. Council members criticized the building's scale, design, and small units but warned that a rejection could jeopardize Beverly Hills' housing element certification and invite lawsuits, according to the Beverly Press.
The only concession: the council imposed conditions limiting construction hours and requiring public notice before any work outside regular hours.
What Builder's Remedy means here
The project was filed while Beverly Hills lacked a state-certified housing element. Under California's Housing Accountability Act, cities in that position cannot deny qualifying housing developments that include affordable units. Beverly Hills received 16 such applications before the state Department of Housing and Community Development certified the city's housing element on May 1, 2024, closing the window.
Because the 232 Tower Drive application predates that certification, it is exempt from local zoning limits on height and density. The building will contain studio and one-bedroom apartments, with 11 units reserved for lower-income households and 13 parking spaces, according to the Beverly Press.
A reluctant approval, twice
The Beverly Hills Planning Commission first approved the project on Thursday, October 23, 2025, in a 4-0-1 vote. Commissioner Terri Kaplan captured the mood at that hearing: "I don't necessarily like any of these projects, but I feel very constrained," she said, citing the state mandate.
Carthay Circle resident Ken Dusick called the project "tawdry" at the same October hearing. His neighborhood group filed the appeal in November 2025, setting up the council showdown that concluded July 21, 2026.
The site and the design
The property currently holds an eight-unit apartment building with two detached parking garages, which will be demolished. Ottinger Architects designed the replacement as a contemporary infill apartment building near the future Wilshire/La Cienega Metro station on the D Line Extension.
What comes next
The project has cleared its final local approval hurdle. No construction start date has been announced.
