Developer planning new homes, hotel on 33 acres in the 90210

An enormous chunk of undeveloped land in the hills above Benedict Canyon could soon become the site of a new luxury resort and mini residential community, if a developer’s plans come to fruition.

Planned for 33 acres of land in the 90210 zip code, the project would include a 99-room boutique hotel and nine residences situated on roomy lots measuring one acre or more in size.

Developer—and sometime movie producer—Gary Safady purchased the Beverly Crest land in 2008 and submitted plans earlier this week for the ambitious project, dubbed the Retreat at Benedict Canyon. They call for a number of exemptions to local zoning rules, including new land use designations for the parcels slated for development.

That could raise the alarms of neighbors, but representatives of the developer are quick to point out that the project would include construction of new roads and access points for emergency vehicles—and that 62 percent of the site would be preserved as green space.

South Africa-based architecture firm Saota has been commissioned to design the project, with Harrison Design serving as the local architect. The hotel rooms would be located in a cluster of bungalows dispersed throughout the project site, with restaurants and amenities mixed in.

It would certainly be a singular project for the area, where high-priced mansions rented out on Airbnb are the closest things to hotels you’re likely to find.

• Los Angeles Hotels [Curbed LA]