Edge v. Malibu
I said a month or two in an OTR column that this “Edge vs. Malibu” story wasn’t gonna go away anytime soon, and that Edge would have to start giving his side of the story. Seems that’s exactly what he’s doing. CNN was reporting the news today….
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I’m so sick of these self-absorbed rich people. The only reason they don’t want Edge to build his houses there is because they don’t want their perfect sugar-coated world to change in the slightest. Concern about the environment my you-know-what. If the land is available, the Edge is allowed to build whatever he wants there, whether it be 5 houses or 50. It’s his land and his money. Enough with the tree-hugging, holier-than-thou whining. Most people in this world would kill to live in the area these people live. They should consider themselves lucky that they are the top 1% wealthiest people in the world and just shut their mouths.
The funny thing is, that in the first 10 seconds of that video I count 3 houses.
That area doesn’t look that great to me. It looks like a dry, scrubby, mostly bare mountainside. It’s not like he’s going to chop down a forest or drain a wetland.
I could easily be wrong, but I don’t recall The Edge or the band ever claiming to be environmentalists. They may work for other charities and support other causes, but I don’t recall them saying they were environmentalists (in fact Bono said he was embarrassed to meet with Al Gore after Gore got the Nobel Prize for helping the environment because as Bono pointed out, they are rock stars and that line of work isn’t particularly environmentally friendly). So in other words, to make being “a hypocrite” the number one criticism to throw at The Edge shows that 1) they don’t know their facts, and 2) they are probably just using it as a cover for other gripes they have that may not be as “sympathetic.”
“Edge is allowed to build whatever he wants there, whether it be 5 houses or 50.”
Doubtful. Zoning regulations will only allow so many houses on that tract. I imagine there are lots of zoning ordinances in Malibu, and he will probably have to “make his case” before a planning board or something to get building permits.
I like the renderings, modern yet fits the landscape. I’ll take one!
Point taken, Watts. However, I don’t think that zoning ordinances are the problem here. Just whiny rich people complaining about Edge not being…”environmentally friendly” because of big trucks on a small road and the possibility of rocks rolling down a hill. Point is, it’s his land and he should be able to build his houses on it whether the neighbors think he’s doing it the “right” or “wrong” way.
There is heavy zoning ordinances there for good reason. It is a protected area by the California Coastal Commission. It’s prone to wildfires and landslides as well as numerous protected species. It’s a very fragile habitat. It’s not about money or snobs or any of that, although from all reports there have been numerous dead animals along his property that he has already dug a major trench (which he was not allowed to do-which is what started all of this) and it was full of dead animals that got trapped in his 15 foot deep trench, including deer. Don’t defend someone until you know the truth. His developer has screwed him up in the name of money, money and more money. Of course he is telling Edge he can do this, that means he makes money. So the only person I see here that is a snob or is all about money is Edge. The Mayor of Malibu, that is loved and very much respected, is not about to bend the rules for some guy from Ireland. There’s people there with much more money than Edge and you can’t buy off the California Coastal Commission. Edge should know better and if he doesn’t, I believe his wife is from Santa Monica, Cal. She should know better. They are getting ripped off bigtime and killing protected wildlife with their abuse of the development already. He should stop now before he makes some serious enemies. They take their land very seriously out there and money won’t buy you sh*t!. Everybody has to go by the same rules. No exceptions! Welcome to the real world.
Sure, it’s protected-most land is and has certain laws protecting it/saying what one can and can’t do, but those people already there have houses and they admittedly won’t be as environmentally safe/friendly as Edge’s houses will be (not that this particularly matters, but it seems to be a point of contention for most in this whole problem). Since there are already buildings on said land, the Edge has every right to build his own. The matter of his developer is not the Edge’s fault. It is the purpose of the contractor to know, understand, and comply with such laws and the Edge clearly put his trust in him that he would do so. The notion that a trench was dug is a problem with the developer, not the Edge himself. I’d love to see how these neighbors were able to build their homes without somewhat disrupting the natural habitat. Don’t think that’s actually even possible, so the point you have it moot.
And again, you may have your own opinion that these neighbors are really truly concerned about zoning laws and “trucks driving up windy roads,” but it’s more and more clear to me that they just want their little area to be as private as possible and having such a celebrity come in seems to them like an invasion of their little sugar-coated bubble. And that, my friend, is the real world.
He ought to haul a trailer out there, trow some tires on the roof to hold it down, put a primered camaro up on blocks out front with a pitbull tied to it, and plant a big ol sign that says in big blue block letters - COMING SOON TO THIS LOCATION — MALIBU’S NEWEST WAL*MART!!! Maybe then people will see how lucky they are that all he wants to build are some amazing houses.
upwiththesun, at one time, U2’s members vocal supporters of Green Peace, so yeah, I’d say they were environmentalists.
I have no opinion either way on this. I don’t live there, I don’t understand exactly how the houses will change the way the mountain looks (and that is part of the complaint, as I recall), and I don’t know if the environmental impact that they’re supposedly worried about is real, made up or imagined.
As for R. Neck’s comment, good luck getting Walmart to spend millions of dollars on land to build a walmart on a mountain. Somehow, I don’t see the residents shopping at Walmart. Fresh Market or Tiffanies is a better fit.
The plans also require a twenty story high retaining wall. Add in some earthquakes, on and on, he got bad advice, same way he did on the Clarence, on the U2 towers in Dublin. The big thing out there everybody knows you can’t build in Malibu! That’s why you need to buy an existing structure (home) and remodel from that. The infrastucture will not support what he wants to do. Maybe next time, he should consult a realtor and not a developer who wants to build speculation homes. That is another thing, these homes are not even sold, they are not Edge’s house, he is a spectulator, just like all these kooks that got us into the mess the market is in now. When you are looking up and see a twenty story high retention wall in Malibu for Edge, you will see pigs flying by too. It’s not going to happen, the faster he realizes it, the better off everyone will be. Oh and let’s not forget the storm water issue as well. He was foolish with his money on this project, same way he was on the others and all he’s managed to do is get a bunch of people really freaking angry the same way he did in Dublin. If he went down to Costa Rica and wanted to build that on a mountainside, no problem, but not Malibu. If he tones down his plans and apologizes they might consider letting him do something on that land. There’s a reason so much land was still for sale there, it’s not really buildable and most everything is protected. He really should get better legal advice if he plans on living in the USA oh and we take our wildlife very seriously here, if he doesn’t like it- too bad.
Oh and one more thing, Malibu is not private!! It has one of the best surf breaks in California, and is the most famous of surfing beaches in the world. LOL it’s one of the last places in the world to find any privacy!
wahine, that’s exactly what I meant by the privacy issue. I know it’s not a private area, but his neighbors are acting like it is. I smell ulterior motives here that the environmental issue is secondary and they simply don’t want all the attention someone like Edge will bring.
As for the Clarence, after they remodeled it, hasn’t it become very popular, especially since tourism in Dublin has grown exponentially in the past few years? Either way, I again say that it’s his money, his land that he purchased. These other people were able to build on the land, so he has every right to do so as well. Building a structure obviously messes up the environment in some way; it’s inevitable.
Edge would be the least of their worries for privacy. Just about anybody who is anybody has either a home there or up in Santa Barbara. Edge is not really in the famous factor compared to everyone else. Honestly it is about the environment. Malibu has made it their mission to protect wildlife and fauna, I just know that the California Coastal Commission is like the heaviest of heavy environmentals and after the latest round of fires up there last year everyone is touchy as can be. The whole thing started when the dead animals were found trapped in his trench that was dug illegally, and it wasn’t a small trench the thing was 15 feet deep and super long. IT WAS HORRIBLE! He totally murdered a bunch of protected animals and then buried them when he filled the trench back in. As for the Clarence, I’ve stayed there numerous times and it’s a really sweet hotel. Bono and him decided they were going to expand it bigtime a couple of years ago and of course they fought everyone, because the other buildings were historically/architectually protected. Bottom line, it took so long to get approval that financially the whole thing is on hold so there will be no expansion. Same goes for the new U2 towers Edge and Bono wanted to build and put their new recording studio in. Sometimes I just wonder who the hell is Edge listening to? Certain things can be pulled off with the right approach, I have yet to see where these guys are any good at property investments. I mean it seems like the guy gets taken to the bank everytime! It’s obvious these people he’s working with are all about money so of course they’ll tell him he can do this or that and they have the connections to get things through. That may have worked a few years ago, but not in today’s world in the USA. You know, I work with lots of big money/VIP’s in property and just about everybody has the same attitude (most of them come from Cal) they have the same motto: It’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission when it comes to building. Planning councils use to just smack them on the wrist and say well what is done is done but I’ve had to tell everyone don’t go down that road anymore because that is the way for them to get revenue now. They will fine the hell outta ya, and they could care less, even if you are making the place a 1000 times nicer or opening a new business on the site-employing people, they don’t care. They have for sure caught on because everybody uses the same mentality Edge and his developer is using and that story has gotten old of asking for forgiveness, pleading ignorance, etc. They are targeting same people now to make an example out of them so the rest of the higer society who has gotten away with it for so many years never tries to do something like this. The money thing they know doesn’t faze big money, what is a fine to them, so now they will shut down the whole project and they have that right. I live in a town on the East Coast that everyone refers to Little Malibu, my town and Malibu are like sister communities, we have produced the best surfers in the world consistently (Kelly Slater, etc) so everyone from here knows everyone from Malibu and our little town has become just like Malibu with it’s fighting with rock stars, doctors, movies stars, novelists, on and on. Half my town is people that have property both in cal and here and Costa Rica and all over of course and since I spend so much time in California as well everybody says the same thing, I should be able to do whatever I want with my property. That’s just not the way it works anymore. The other structures in Malibu have mostly gone in before all these new rules and regulations so they were grandfathered in. It’s a whole new world when it comes to construction in environmentally sensitive areas in the US. LOL, we are not even allowed to have our lights on at night here on our island because of turtles laying their eggs at night, you can’t walk on the dunes because of sea oats (plants that are protected) and people are fined huge fines everyday here for trimming the mangrove trees on their property. The rules for property owners have changed dramatically. It’s the price you have to pay to live in what some people consider paradise. Believe me I hear it everyday, try living in a bird sanctuary with nationally protected mice and these property owners can’t understand why the pest companies are not allowed to get rid of the mice that are running around our properties. So as fast as Malibu does what they do, it’s happening all along most of the coastal areas. I guess the whole thing that has me most upset is Edge keeps throwing away money, when all he has to do is just do a little research before he gets into these things. Sure, it’s his money but he has really pissed off so many people and then they have to spend their time and money fighting him on it (which anytime the government has to get involved that’s the people’s money and asking for forgiveness or claiming ignorance as an excuse is getting old). Now, if he wants to build that big spread of his-my family owns a beautiful mountain range in Costa Rica at the other surfing spot that is on the Surfing Monopoly board which just north of the Disney property that could be arranged LOL! Problem is, we have bigtime celebrities living on that property as well, they may not want him around LOL!!! Wherever he goes he brings trouble obviously! All of this crap he keeps doing could be handled by writing his contracts with a Feasability study and a little clause in there that he doesn’t close until he is granted permission to build. It save alot of time, frustration and grief. My best advice to everyone on here is before you purchase property check with a professional, check the zoning laws and my God just look into things yourself instead of totally relying on some person to claim they can help you get something through, common sense does not prevail when it comes to rules and regulations in real estate, maybe this will be the good thing that comes out of Edge’s folly’s. He’s giving everyone a great lesson in how not to do things. Alright that is my final two cents on this subject, I’m going surfing now LOL, with friends that are in from California! Take care. BTW- Dublin grew bigtime from the low tax rate for corporations it didn’t have anything to do with U2! LOL! Everybody moved their headquarters there. Now that they are part of the EU that’ll change. U2 already moved their money out to avoid those same taxes now. Welcome to the world of big money and how to keep it.
All I’m going to say is that I think it’s disgusting that we now live in a world where freaking sea turtles take precedence over humans. Really? We’ll bother the turtles if we keep our lights on? Well, since they’re so vital to everything that’s going on and they need their sleep, then we’ve got to comply. What the hell ever happened to you know, the food chain, etc.? Depending on whether you’re religious or not, God commanded us to have dominion over these things! If you’re not religious, there’s a reason why humans are the only rational beings, we’re at the top of the food chain for a reason, and so we shouldn’t get our panties in a bind if we’re bothering some turtles with our house lights. It really just amazes me that people put animals on such a high pedestal. Now, I’m all for not clear-cutting rainforests and excessive destruction, but come on! Saying that the Edge *murdered* a few animals from a trench that his developer dug is going way to far. You’re making it seem like he’s a bloodthirsty killer and he had this master plan of digging a trench simply to catch animals for his own pleasure. Save me the bullshit, please. Yeah, it sucks a few animals died; that’s unfortunate. But that’s life! Should we shut down all the road systems in the United States because there are animals that get hit by cars every day? No. I’m sorry, but human life and, to put it bluntly, if one pays to buy land, their comfort, etc. on that land takes precedence over the animals living there. I’m sure I’m taking a very controversial position in saying this, but mankind would be NOWHERE had it not been for our advancement of OUR ideals and OUR society. I’m not saying do whatever the hell you want in order to live comfortably, but building a house on land that was for sale should NOT be a problem. I know the reality may be that it is, but that’s what’s messed up with our world today. People are too concerned about maintaining this huge balance with the divine Mother Earth rather than taking care of mankind first and foremost. Are you really saying that if I want to build a house on land that was for sale by the state, but would have to knock down a tree with some squirrels in it, I shouldn’t do so? If you’re one of those people who puts humans on the same level as a squirrel, please, just leave. It’s sad and disgusting to me that someone can’t build on land that they rightfully bought. The 15-foot trench? Probably the start of a foundation for his home. Un-f*cking-believable. Get a life.
How did you know I have pet squirrels?? I’ve had them since they were only a few days old with their eyes still closed. Everyone told me there was no way they would live, but took care of them round the clock and now, I have three. Oneof them is five years old now. How freaking ironic you would say that! I know there is no common sense with the Edge thing but Malibu is not a common sense area. It’s like a giant homeowners association. That’s why I was saying, know the rules and regulation of an area before you even consider doing something. It’s really easy to get rules and laws passed, getting them off the books is a whole different monster. Now, I am disturbed that I said Edge would get his place through when pigs flew, only to have the swine flu pop up, hense piggy flu (flew), that freaked me out for sure. Well, I don’t make the rules or regs, I just know you need to check things out and protect yourself consistently when it comes to property. Somebody uses a road through there for this or that for a certain period of time and you are screwed. The can claim an easement. You gotta be careful, there’s always some hurdle to be faced which is why it is better to research everything yourself instead of depending on some developer/builder to screw you over.