Sylvester Stallone has upset neighbors in the luxe locale of Palm Beach, Florida with a bizarre plan to construct an underwater barrier adjacent to his $35 million mansion.
The 78-year-old has overseen plans submit to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that would place a seaweed barrier in the area’s Intracoastal Waterway, The Palm Beach Post reported Friday.
‘The overall project purpose is to exclude boaters’ from gaining proximity to the celebrity’s property, the Army Corps said in a public notice about the plans, which appear to fall under the classification of an an environmental project, the newspaper reported.
Also noted is the presence of debris in the area and seaweed, the latter of which is noted as a secondary priority in implementing the changes Stallone is seeking to bring about.
The project outline from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection left Stallone’s neighbors ‘blindsided’ the paper reported, as residents have a deadline of 5 p.m. on December 25 to submit comments in regards to the project.
The Tulsa King star, who moved to Florida after years living in Southern California, in paperwork on the project also asked for state land to be leased to him to properly position the barrier, according to the newspaper.
Sylvester Stallone, 78, has upset neighbors in the luxe locale of Palm Beach, Florida with a bizarre plan to construct an underwater barrier adjacent to his $35 million mansion. Pictured last month in Las Vegas
The Rocky actor has overseen plans that would place a seaweed barrier in the area’s Intracoastal Waterway
Bradford Gary, a neighbor of the three-time Academy Award nominee, told the paper that while Stallone owns ‘a beautiful property’ and ‘one of the nicest West Indies houses’ in the area’s North End, he is overreaching with his vision for the project.
‘I can see why you’d want to protect it,’ Gary told the paper. ‘But you can’t just kind of stake your claim and think you own the water.’
Bradford’s spouse Susan Gary told the paper that ‘a lot of neighbors are concerned’ about the Demolition Man star’s ambitious plans, but faces challenges in respects to the timing and platform.
Stallone first applied for the barrier to the Army Corps nearly two years ago, in January of 2023, the newspaper reported, and formal plans were sent to the Army Corps this past August.
The public timeframe for comment commenced on October 24, according to the paper, with one person inquiring about the impact of the barrier on seagrasses; and potential entanglements of manatees as result of the changes.
A spokesperson for the Army Corps said it ‘is reviewing the project purpose to determine if the use of barrier for the purpose of deterring boaters within the public waterway is permittable.’
Stallone submit the request through his Southpaw Trust organization and money manager Lester Knispel, according to the paper.
Stallone initially purchased the seven-bedroom, 12-bathroom home – which is spread out over approximately one-and-a-half lakefront acres adjacent to 250 feet of waterfront land with a dock – in late 2020. The opulent 13,000 sq. foot abode includes a main home, guest home and a keyhole-shaped pool in a pavilion.
Stallone initially purchased the seven-bedroom, 12-bathroom home – which is spread out over approximately one-and-a-half lakefront acres adjacent to 250 feet of waterfront land with a dock – in early 2021
Should Stallone need to escalate the issue up the totem pole, he has a powerful friend nearby in President-elect Donald Trump, who he was pictured with last month at Mar-a-Lago
Gary noted that the period for the public to express their concerns comes during a short window amid the heart of the holiday season, which might stifle voices of dissent toward the barrier project.
‘Usually when your neighbors are gonna do something, we’ve found in Palm Beach, usually they call,’ Gary said.
Should Stallone need to escalate the issue up the totem pole, he has a powerful friend nearby in President-elect Donald Trump.
Stallone last month appeared at an event at Mar-a-Lago, bestowing the incoming president with praise in the wake of his dominating Election Day showing.
‘We are in the presence of a really mythical character,’ Stallone said at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) Gala in a brief speech introducing Trump. ‘Nobody in the world could have pulled off what he pulled off, so I’m in awe.’
Stallone compared Trump to the Rocky Balboa character, saying that both went through ‘a metamorphosis’ and have changed lives.
The Rocky actor is father to five children: three daughters with wife Jennifer Flavin, 56, – Sophia, 28, and Sistine, 26, and Scarlet, 22; and two sons with first wife Sasha Czack, 74 – Seargeoh, 45, and Sage, who died at 36 of coronary artery disease in July of 2012.