The waters surrounding Sylvester Stallone‘s Palm Beach property are becoming murkier, thanks to his controversial plans. The Rocky star has infuriated his wealthy neighbors with an outlandish plan to construct an underwater barrier adjacent to his $35 million mansion. The 78-year-old aims to submit this plan to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, that would place a seaweed barrier in the area’s Intracoastal Waterway.
Bradford Gary, a neighbor of the three-time Academy Award nominee, shared, “I can see why you’d want to protect it. But you can’t just stake your claim and think you own the water.” The stunning multi-million-dollar mansion boasts seven bedrooms, 12 bathrooms and sits on a 1.5-acre lakefront plot. Right in front is 250 feet of waterfront land with a dock. While the plans have generated significant hoopla, the fact is the Hollywood actor submitted plans for the seaweed barrier in the Intracoastal Waterway in January 2023, almost two years ago.
Hello Magazine reported that neighbors have until 5 p.m. on Christmas Day to comment on the proposal, which also includes a request for a submerged lease of state land. The tight deadline is said to have “blindsided” his neighbors. A spokesperson for the Army Corps said in a statement, “The Corps is reviewing the project purpose to determine if the use of a barrier for the purpose of deterring boaters within the public waterway is permissible.”
In the past, residents of South Miami Avenue, like Stallone and Madonna, sought to block access to their public street by closing the gate of an eight-foot-tall iron fence for security reasons. This 1997 controversy came to be known as “Stallonegate.” Even Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg had a tiff with neighbors in 2016 when he constructed a six-foot wall around his property to reduce highway and road noise. This wall reportedly blocked access to Pila’a Beach for the locals.
