Thursday, March 24, 2011

More Vacay Mish-Mash

Sorry for the delay, buttons, but Your Mama and the Dr. Cooter–and our long-bodied bitches Linda and Beverly–are actually on a wee getaway vacay with all the grays and gays out in Palm Springs, CA. We spent the better part of today day with our almost-famous artist pal Henny Penny during which we went t0 the Palm Springs Art Museum. We had a look-see at a print retrospective of John Baldessari, passed through the permanent contemporary collection, had our photos taken with a bone-chilling Duane Hanson sculpture andtoured a small and incomplete but still interesting look at the architecture of noted Coachella Valley modernist architect Donald Wexler appropriately called Steel and Shade. Then we had a crappy late lunch. Now we're back at our home base sitting by the pool thinking we should probably think about getting back to our real home. Anyhoodles poodles...

There has been heaps and hordes of hoopla and hoo-ha the last few days over a proposed 80,000-plus square foot compound an as yet unidentified property owner wants to build on a 5.2-acre property in the upscale Benedict Canyon area of Los Angeles, CA. The proposed plans call for an opulent 42,681 square foot mock-Mediterranean-style main house, a double-winged 27,000-plus square foot "son's villa," a 4,400 square foot guest house, a 5,300 square foot structure for housing staff and a 2,700 square foot gatehouse.

The Los Angeles Times revealed earlier this week that the proposed monster mansion is to be built for a single man with three children. Ownership of the property is shielded through a serious of LLCs, attorneys and the like but there is much speculation that the property owner may be a Saudi royal, specifically Prince Abdulaziz ibn Adbullah ibn Abdulaziz al Saud who happens to be divorced man with three children.

The massive–and some might say utterly preposterous–scale of the project has the dander up of Benedict Canyon residents who have formed an ad hoc group to stop the construction of the compound that will rival the square footage of Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA. Interestingly, one of those who oppose the colossal compound is Hollywood honcho Michael Ovitz who himself recently completed his own humongous and über-contemporary crib in the 'hood.

There are many hoops and hurdles for this unnamed property owner to hop through before he can break ground on his mini-mall sized mansion but iffin Your Mama were the betting type–and we're not–we'd wager this real estate size queen will get his way even if he has to scale things back to a more modest but still elephantine 50 or 60,000 square feet. For more information on the group opposed to the development visit their website Save Benedict Canyon.

It's come to our attention via a well-connected Los Angeles real estate-o-phile that the possibility of an 85,000 square foot compound in the Benedict Canyon area isn't the only possible construction of a mega-mansion that's working the last nerves of concerned citizens in some of L.A.'s priciest zip codes.

Over in the Franklin Canyon area of Los Angeles, another angry ad hoc group staunchly opposes the efforts of controversial Ritz-Carlton hotel developer Mohamed Hadid to construct a huge and palatial residence–that he claims is for his own use–atop an unspoiled peak much cherished by urban-dwelling hikers and nature lovers.

Mister Hadid, the children surely recall, is the same man who famously sold his Bel Air mega-mansion Le Belvedere in the summer of 2010 for a gut-punching and record-setting $50,000,000. There is at least one person Your Mama knows who believes that fifty million dollar deal was shady and presented us with some documentation that indicates that Mister Hadid's (former) Bel Air estate is now bank-owned, but that's another alleged scandal for another time.

Mister Hadid has already begun to bulldoze the mountain to create a large flat pad for the sprawling spread he wants to erect but he was presented with a "stop work" order in late February. Those who want more information should visit the Save Franklin Canyon website.

Finally, there have been many queries from the kids as regards to the real estate history of two-time Oscar winning actress Dame Elizabeth Taylor (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, BUtterfield 8, Suddenly, Last Summer, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and etc.) who went to meet her maker earlier this week at the too-young age of 79. Your Mama could spend hours recounting each of the many homes around the world she's owned but it's already been done and done well here and here.

The world lost one of it's last great Tinseltown stars with Elizabeth Taylor who championed AIDS funding and research at a time when it was simply not socially acceptable to do so. May she rest in peace.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can you tell us anything about Elizabeth Taylor's house on Nimes? The address is public record and is actually the address given for her foundation, so I'm not revealing anything.
Did she buy it when she moved back to LA in the 80"s?
I'm sure it's huge, but in the aerials it actually looks quite modest compared to the monstrosities that have been built around it. One of those is probably Mister Hadid's former digs. . .

Fancy Nancy said...

Hi Mama,

Since you are in Palm Springs I think you should do a blog on Sunnylands--the Palm Springs getaway of the Ambassadors Annenberg. If those walls could talk!!!

Love and Kisses,

Fancy Nancy

Anonymous said...

The time to discuss Nimes Road being bank owned is now! Please!

Anonymous said...

Given her money (I presume she had a lot) her real estate tastes seem marvelous modest. This increases my respect for her good sense.

luke220 said...

My hunch is that Elizabeth's home on Nimes Rd will be a teardown.

Anonymous said...

So if the bank has the house why is Hadid still living in that place? I too smell something fishy!

luke220 said...

Elizabeth's home is a modest 7,100 sq feet on less than 1.5 acres. http://www.redfin.com/CA/Los-Angeles/700-Nimes-Rd-90077/home/6830115

Regarding her neighbor, I just realized that Mohamed's house was the location of the fancy dinner on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The attendees treated him like royalty.

Anonymous said...

Let them build what they want to build. If they want to spend their money in California, great. We need the Taxes and jobs that come along with these mega-mansions. It's better to have a $50 million dollar house next door than a vacant lot. Plus, you get great security when they bring their own guards....

lil' gay boy said...

Who in God's name built that monstrosity next door to the Nimes house? It looks like a Disney vision of a town square in Ol' Meh Heek Coe...

Anon 1:15: I have always despised the vulgar & over-the-top excesses (except, of course, my own) that money can buy, but...

I must say that I agree with you, despite what all the naysayers espouse. C'mon, a Save Our ___________ (fill in the blank) charity website selling T-shirts? Yeah, it's all about the nature, and not a whiff of NIMBY-ism. Not only could the property value increase (possible), security go up (as you pointed out), but let's be practical ––– how often will the owner be in residence? Most folk with this kind of do-re-mi don't usually stay put in one place too long, but their support staff certainly add to the local economy.

What the residents are really facing are the temporary inconveniences of long term construction (true, it could go on for a few years), the permanent alteration of the landscape (which an Act of God can just as easily impart), or what I think is much more likely, namely their own petty prejudices. God knows there are enough rules & regulations already in place that make building a home anywhere difficult at best. If you don't want those kind of neighbors, then move to a restricted community where the bylaws will dictate the color of your barbecue. Ovitz has always wanted to have the biggest dick on the block ––– that's have, not be.

To paraphrase English jurist Sir Edward Coke in 1644, "A man's home is his castle." So go ahead, Mama, and paint you front door orange.

Anonymous said...

Sorry but in that neck o' the woods I would hardly call empty land a "vacant lot." And seriously? The building of these homes helping poor California? Come on. The only ones it helps financially are the ones building and decorating it. It's sad to see these beautiful hillside hoods go to shit with these type projects.

Bev Mo said...

You don't get an advantage of having rich neighbors with great security. The burglars simply target your house, not your neighbor's house. Just ask Zsa Zsa!

Anonymous said...

Time to discuss the house completed late last year sitting next to Le Belvedere. Recently named the Ultimate Home 2011 by Robb Report...
and it is a R. Landry project.

Can't wait to hear more about this 28 bedrooms (!!!!) mega-mansion.