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American talk show host Oprah Winfrey has reportedly had a wall built on her Montecito estate, but her neighbours fear that the erection of said wall may damage the neighbourhood
Oprah Winfrey ‘s neighbours are reported to be fear of the star’s real estate renovations because of the potential they have to damage the lavish Montecito neighbourhood.
The American talk show host, 69, has built up an impressive portfolio of property and land in Montecito, California over the years, with her going to lengths to protect her estate.
But her neighbours aren’t keen on the changes, with a complaint even being filed to the Santa Barbara County Planning and Development Department.
Oprah enlisted builders to erect a wall on her Santa Rosa Lane property, which was due to heavy rainfall and flooding.
The boulder wall was recently installed along San Ysidro Creek, which runs along the Mississippi-born star’s lavish estate that she bought at auction for $28.85 million (£22m) in 2015.
The wall was installed to protect the property from flooding and “creek erosion”, according to reports on Santa Barbara’s Noozhawk.
Montecito is an area prone to weather disasters, with a mudslide in the neighbourhood causing 23 deaths in 2018.
BBC reported earlier this year that the coastal town, in which the Duke and Duchess of Sussex reside, is situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains which is among the reasons why the neighbourhood faces “greater risks in natural disasters, including floods and mudslides”.
But since Oprah’s wall was erected, earlier this year, according to reports, residents have voiced their fears over the damage and chaos the wall could potentially cause.
The talk shows host’s neighbours are said to be quite worried that the creek, which is now prevented from affecting Oprah’s estate, could push floodwater onto other properties during heavy rainfall.
Sharon Byrne, executive director of the Montecito Assn., has said: “You can’t alter creek canals and not expect there to be results,” while speaking in an interview with Noozhawk.
She went on: “Don’t change the creeks. They are going to shift and move on their own.”
Los Angeles Times reports that the wall was erected by Jimenez Nursery, with the company obtaining a permit on February 1 (2023).
The permit is said to have been obtained a matter of weeks after the area was evacuated due to weather.
Following the aforementioned complaint, which sparked officials and inspectors to meet up and take a look at the wall, John Zorovich, a deputy director for the Santa Barbara County Planning Department, told SF Gate that an investigation was ongoing.
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