Manhattan Beach

The City Council approved a 45-unit hotel on Sepulveda Boulevard at 9th Street after the developer agreed to several changes to make the project more acceptable to neighbors.

The council voted 3 to 2 on Tuesday to allow the two-story Mediterranean-style hotel, to be called the Royal Pacific Inn, with 45 units and 53 underground parking spaces. The approval cleared the way for developer Vijay Patel to buy the property from from longtime Manhattan Beach businessman Jack Bishop, said Patel’s attorney Steve Kaplan.

Council members Jan Dennis and Gil Archuletta opposed the measure, arguing that the hotel would increase traffic on adjacent residential streets. In an effort to compromise with several residents who opposed the project, Patel agreed to remove all windows overlooking nearby homes and to decrease the number of rooms from 49 to 45. Patel also agreed to dedicate a 12-foot strip of land in front of the project for an additional traffic lane on Sepulveda Boulevard.