A Beverly Hills initiative that would have mandated two hours of free parking in city lots was ordered removed Tuesday from the ballot by a judge.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ann I. Jones sided with city officials against a group of businesses led by medical office owner G&L Realty Corp. In her ruling, Jones called the voter initiative “impermissibly vague and clearly invalid.” She agreed with officials that the initiative, known as Measure 2P, improperly directs the Beverly Hills City Council to enact legislation, rather than act as an ordinance itself.

The ruling deals a blow to Beverly Hills-based G&L, which owns five medical offices in the city and led a $108,000 campaign to get the measure on the March 8 ballot. Part of that money went toward gathering more than 2,600 signatures for the measure.

“We believe that the judge erred in her decision,” wrote Harvey Englander, a political consultant hired by G&L, in an e-mail statement Tuesday. “Unfortunately, due to the inflexibility of the election calendar, we are unable to appeal this decision.”

City officials, who have cut $27 million from the budget in the last two years, filed the legal challenge last month against the measure, which they estimate would cost the city $1.3 million annually. Officials also placed a cheaper, competing free parking measure known as Measure 3P on the same ballot. Officials estimate Measure 3P, which would guarantee three hours free parking to residents only, would cost $400,000 annually.

“This ruling is a clear victory for the residents of Beverly Hills,” said Mayor Jimmy Delshad in a press release. “The measure was a fiscally irresponsible proposal at a time when the city must use its resources to maintain the essential public safely, senior and other services that our community relies upon.”