Mark Zuckerberg is not winning over any friends on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, where he purchased a 700 acre plot of land for $100 million back in 2014. The Facebook entrepreneur has yet to build a home on his new property, but is currently in the process of constructing a massive, six-foot stone wall around the perimeter of the land. As a technology mogul worth approximately $35.7 billion does!
Neighbors on the island are displeased about the sudden appearance of the wall — of unknown projected length and completion date — which apparently cuts off, you know, the scenic view of the ocean Hawaii is known for. One such neighbor is Kilauea resident Gy Hall, who lives along Koolau Road where the wall is currently being built. Until a few weeks ago, Hall had enjoyed the view of the ocean and the breeze from his home.
“The feeling of it is really oppressive. It’s immense,” Hall said. “It’s really sad that somebody would come in, and buy a huge piece of land and the first thing they do is cut off this view that’s been available and appreciative by the community here for years.”
Another Kilauea resident, Donna Mcmillen, calls the wall a “monstrosity.”
“I’m super unhappy about that. I know that land belongs to Zuckerberg. Money is no option for him. I’m 5’8” and when I’m walking, I see nothing but wall,” Mcmillen said. “It just doesn’t fit in with the natural beauty that we have here. There are people on the island who money can pay for anything. These kind of things that they do take away what Kauai is all about.”
Shawn Smith, a spokesperson for the project who sold the property to Zuckerberg, claims in a statement that the primary purpose of the wall is to “mitigate highway and road noise.”
The sound barrier follows all regulated rules and regulations by the county and our entire team remains committed to ensuring that any development is consistent with the local landscape and environment and considerate of neighbors.
Somehow, neighbors seem to disagree. This isn’t the first time a celebrity has come under fire for moving into a neighborhood and disrupting locals. May we never forget the “Ross Is Not Cool” incident when Friends star David Schwimmer bought a gorgeous townhouse one year away from achieving landmark status in New York City’s East Village, only to have it torn down.
You don’t want to be like Ross. Do you, Zuck? No one wants to be like Ross.
(Via Gizmodo and The Garden Island)