Joey Waldinger

A fter receiving approval last month from the Recreation and Parks Commission for plans to plant a “tiny forest” at Greystone Mansion, City Arborist Ken Pfalzgraf appeared before the Cultural Heritage Commission on April 10 to further explain how the project will help Beverly Hills reach its sustainability goals.

A s part of a study of whether decorative crosswalks could improve traffic safety, Public Works Department crews will install two rainbow-colored crosswalks in front of City Hall and the Beverly Hills Farmers’ Market during Pride Month in June.

T he Planning Commission on April 11 unanimously approved a Conditional Use Permit allowing The Beverly Hills Hotel to renovate several of its indoor and outdoor spaces. Hotel staff will repurpose an existing ballroom into a restaurant and bar, add a new café in the lobby, and turn an existing hotel room into a veranda bar.

A s one of its first actions after installing a new mayor and two new members, the Beverly Hills City Council on April 16 unanimously passed a resolution condemning the Islamic Republic of Iran for its recent drone strikes against Israel and reaffirming Israel’s right to defend itself.

During a marathon meeting on April 11, the Planning Commission unanimously approved a conditional use permit to allow The Beverly Hills Hotel to complete its most significant construction project in recent history.

R eal estate developer Jason Lewis remembers how hard it was to find suitable senior housing for his grandmother in Beverly Hills. That experience is the inspiration behind Margaux Beverly Hills, a 55-unit assisted living facility at 244-256 N. Clark Drive that on April 11 was unanimously approved by the Planning Commission with conditions.

The City Council on April 16 continued an appeal hearing on a “Builder’s Remedy” application to build a 19-story mixed-use development at 125-129 S. Linden Drive until May 21, following extensive opposition from neighbors.

A fter former Beverly Hills Unified School District Board of Education member Mary Wells was elected to the City Council last month, the remaining members on April 24 agreed to leave her seat vacant until the Nov. 5 election.

On April 25, the Planning Commission convened a special meeting to review the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) of the proposed mixed-use development at 9600 Wilshire Blvd., drawing impassioned comments from more than a dozen community members, preservationists, hospitality professionals and labor representatives.

During an Arbor Day ceremony on April 26, Beverly Hills City Councilmembers, officials, parents and children gathered at Roxbury Memorial Park to celebrate the city’s environmental efforts, plant a California Live Oak and release handfuls of bugs into a nearby garden.