The Los Angeles City Planning Commission has signed off on a proposal to build a new hotel at the site of a demolished restaurant in Woodland Hills.

The project site, located at 20401 Ventura Boulevard, is slated for a four-story building containing 149 guest rooms, under an entitlement request first submitted to the City of Los Angeles in 2016.  Plans also call for a ground-level cafe and meeting rooms, as well as 213 parking stalls on three basement levels.

The proposed hotel is being designed by Architectural Dimensions, a North Hollywood-based firm.  The low-rise structure, which would overlook the US-101 Freeway, is depicted with an exterior of glass, limestone, and metal, highlighted by tower elements composed of wood panels and stained glass.

City records list the project applicant as 20401 Ventura, LLC, an entity managed by Kamyar Marouni and Shahrzad Cohen, which acquired the property for $6.6 million in 2016.

Construction of the hotel is expected to occur over a 19-month period, according to an environmental study conducted for the project.  A groundbreaking is expected in April 2021, leading to a completion date in October 2022.

While the City Planning Commission voted to move the project forward, Commisioners denied a requested zone change for the project at the recommendation of staff.  Without that entitlement, the hotel will be required to reduce its overall size by approximately 3,000 square feet to remain under floor area limits for the property.