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Saudi Prince Appeases Neighbors By Sacrificing Staff Quarters, Villa From Planned Massive Benedict Canyon Compound
A planned 85,000-square-foot compound-style residence slated to occupy a 5.2-acre Benedict Canyon lot is being scaled back by the owner in order to appease neighbors angry about the massive project. Purchased under a shroud of mystery, the landowner has been revealed as a Saudi Prince, Prince Abdulaziz ibn Abdullah ibn Abdulaziz al Saud, according to the LA Times, who has worked to keep his full identity under wraps.
After neighbors in the exclusive Tower Lane community said the residence as originally planned "pushe[d] the bounds of common sense and decency," the landowner has agreed to trim the staff quarters and a secondary villa from the compound, which represents a reduction of about 30,000-square feet of buildings.
The scale of the project was staggering to locals, who likened the proposed compound to having a giant WalMart erected in their quiet, residential neighborhood, and would have been about the same size as the famous Hearst Castle.
The lawyer for the landowner says his client will re-submit his application with modifications to officials for approval.
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