Hollywood's Twin Towers Get a Haircut, But Will State Objections Block Final Approval?

"Big news out of the City Council's Planning and Land Use Management Committee meeting just now: the Millennium Hollywood developer has agreed to limit the height of the two towering towers--planned for lots around the Capitol Records building--to 39 and 35 stories," reports Eve Bachrach. "That's down from original maximum heights of 585 and 485 feet, but, says a rep for Millennium, it doesn't change the total square footage of the project, or the proposed number of residential units (492) or hotel rooms (200)." It's unclear how the designers have managed to pull off that feat.

As the project prepares for a hearing before the full City Council for final approval, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has entered the fray to voice its displeasure with the project and its environmental analysis, reports Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times. He writes that the department is "accusing city officials of using bogus statistics and trampling over state law in an effort to push the project through to approval by the City Council."

"City Hall insiders say Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has pressed for rapid approval, perhaps because he sees the Millennium as some sort of legacy," notes Hiltzik. "But the unresolved questions about traffic suggest that the whole scheme may need a better going-over than it has received."

Bachrach notes that the City Council will not review the project until July 24, after Councilman Eric Garcetti is sworn in as mayor.