Rob Lowe Free to Build
Rob Lowe played a big fan of the democratic process on TV. Now he has reasons of his own to be thankful for it.
By a 3-2 vote, the former West Wing star will be able to build his ocean-view "dream home" in the upscale Santa Barbara community of Montecito, the Santa Barbara News-Press reported Thursday. Other residents of the tony enclave include Oprah Winfrey, John Cleese and Dennis Franz.
"I've always been a big believer in the process," Lowe told the News-Press. "I'm obviously pleased with the outcome." The onetime Brat Pack player, who most recently played a wily Hollywood agent in Thank You for Smoking, bought the 3.4-acre undeveloped lot last year for about $8.5 million.
Although Lowe, his wife and two sons have been neighborhood fixtures for some time, the Montecito Planning Commission was having trouble getting its collective mind around the 42-year-old actor's new architectural vision.
He and his wife of almost 15 years, Sheryl Berkoff, sat through a nearly all-day hearing Wednesday before the vote was cast. Now, after eking out a majority decision, the couple are free to go ahead with plans for a 14,260 square-foot estate, which include a 9,860-square-foot residence with a 2,000-square-foot basement, an 800-square-foot guest house, and an 800-square-foot second-story cabana with a garage beneath it. Plus, your usual swimming pool, spa and tennis court.
Oh, and the major point of contention--a 24-foot-high hedge.
Lowe's future neighbor, businessman Fred Gluck, had protested that the massive foliage, which Lowe wants installed for privacy, would partially block his view of the Pacific Ocean. Gluck's motion turned into a full-fledged debate on whether Montecito-area houses were getting too big.
Let's see, which resident will be the first to give up his or her sixth bedroom, four-car garage or circular drive?
In his own defense, Lowe informed the commission yesterday that Gluck had first complained about his view and then taken issue with the size of the proposed house. The actor pointed out that the international consulting exec's own 8,577-square-foot home also exceeded Monecito's floor-area ratio guidelines (if you're going to get technical).
The three commissioners who sided with Lowe agreed that this estate would be compatible with the neighborhood, while the other two ruled that the sizable project set a disturbing precedent.
We can't wait for the block party.
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