8850 Sunset / Viper Room Project Now Open to Public Comment

The City of West Hollywood released the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the 8850 Sunset / Viper Room project. The develepment is now available for public comment until November 5, 2021.

The Draft EIR can be downloaded at: 8850 Sunset Boulevard Project – Draft Environmental Impact Report.

The City requests that comments be limited to the material contained in The Draft EIR. Comments on this project can be submitted to WeHo Senior Planner Doug Vu at [email protected].

There are also two upcoming Zoom meetings where community members can sound off prior to the closing of public comment:

1. TRANSPORTATION – The Transportation Commission will take public comments on transportation-related elements addressed in the DEIR.
Date: Wednesday, October 20, 2021
Time 6:30 PM
Location: Teleconference Meeting via Zoom (https://www.weho.org/city-government/boards-commissions/commissions/transportation-commission)

2. PLANNING – The Planning Commission will take public comments on the DEIR.
Date: Thursday, October 21, 2021
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: Teleconference Meeting via Zoom (https://www.weho.org/city-government/boards-commissions/commissions/planning-commission)

The developer’s website is www.8850sunsetblvd.com.

The 8850 Sunset Boulevard / Viper Room Project will rise along the south side of the Sunset Strip between Larrabee Street and San Vicente Boulevard. I would replaced the legendary Viper Room and other small commercial buildings. The two proposed buildings will have bridge connecting the two structure on the top levels, which would include additional restaurant space, amenity decks, and swimming pools for residents and hotel guests.

Project highlights include:

• Mixed-use luxury hotel and residential building (separate towers)
• 15 stories each tower (approx 200’)
• 115 hotel rooms
  31 market-rate condos
• 10 income-restricted housing units
• Viper Room/nightclub space (underground level)
• 3 restaurants (rooftop, street-level, café)
  Gym (2 – Residential / hotel)
• Pool (2 – Residential / hotel)
• Ballroom/meeting room (large enough for 350+)
• Hotel amenities (lounges, spas, retail, pool, etc.)
• Screening room (for residents)
• 240 parking spaces (four underground levels)
  Digital and static billboards
• Helicopter pad (Don’t panic – this is for emergency police/fire use only. It’s standard on high-rises.)

Previous comments related to Areas of Controversy can be found in the DEIR Executive Summary Section ED.5 beginning on Page 19:

• Potential impacts associated with height, scale, and massing of the proposed building, including shade/shadow effects and glare (Section 3.8, Land Use and Planning and Section 3.15, Aesthetics).

• Potential air quality impacts due to construction activity, dust produced during construction, and operational traffic (Section 3.1, Air Quality).

• Potential impacts to cultural and historic resources due to loss of the Viper Room and the associated music history (Section 3.2, Cultural Resources).

• Potential for earthquake and liquefaction hazards on the site and associated concerns regarding the structural stability of the proposed building (Section 3.4, Geology and Soils).

• Potential impacts related to increased congestion on Sunset Boulevard and associated concerns regarding emergency evacuation, emergency response, and overall reduced traffic and parking conditions for residents (Section 3.6, Hazards and Hazardous Materials; Section 3.12, Transportation).

• Potential noise and safety effects of the proposed emergency helicopter landing facility and potential conflicts between the proposed helicopter landing facility and a nearby Los Angeles County Sheriff helipad (Section 3.6, Hazards and Hazardous Materials; Section 3.9, Noise).

• Potential impacts associated with increased water, electrical, and gas use at the site, as well as solid waste production (Section 3.7, Hydrology and Water Quality; Section 3.14, Utilities and Service Systems).

• Potential for long-term noise impacts from additional traffic and the proposed nightclub use (Section 3.9, Noise).

• Potential conflicts with the character of the area and with the Sunset Specific Plan (Section 3.8, Land Use and Planning).

• Potential issues arising from the project’s location adjacent to an existing hotel (Section 3.8, Land Use and Planning; Section 3.9, Noise; Section 3.12, Transportation).

• Potential impacts from increased demands on police, fire, and emergency medical services (Section 3.11, Public Services).

• Potential traffic and parking issues, particularly along Larrabee Street (transportation impacts are discussed in Section 3.12, Transportation; parking issues are not generally considered an impact on the environment under CEQA, however, parking code compliance is demonstrated in Appendix L).

• Potential impacts to the nearby West Hollywood Elementary School (construction traffic effects, effects to school bus routes, construction noise, construction air quality) (Section 3.1, Air Quality; Section 3.9, Noise; Section 3.12, Transportation).

• Cumulative impacts of the project, particularly related to increased traffic, increased parking demand, and increased heights in the area (Chapter 4, Cumulative Effects).

• Potential alternatives to the project, particularly alternative sites, a reduced-scale project, alternative designs, and retention of the Viper Room (Chapter 5, Alternatives).

Urbanize Los Angeles reports Silver Creek Development Co. acquired the project site in 2017 for $80 million and is working with Culver City-based architecture firm Morphosis on the design of the approximately 200-foot-tall building, which would face Sunset Boulevard with a glass facade housing the hotel lobby, restaurant space, digital signage, and the entrance to the Viper Room.

Community members who wish to comment are encouraged to voice their input and submit their comments 8850 Sunset / Viper Room Project prior to the deadline of November 5, 2021.