Prince Abdul Aziz, Son Of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Suing Los Angeles Over Mansion Project

The son of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah is suing the city of Los Angeles in a dispute over plans to build a sprawling “mega-mansion” in the Beverly Hills 90210 postcode.

A land development company belonging to Prince Abdul Aziz, the king’s third son who also serves as deputy foreign minister, has gone to court in an attempt to push through the project after objections from neighbours.

The planning row began after the prince’s firm, Tower Lane Properties, spent $12 million on five-and-a-quarter acres of land in the wealthy enclave of Benedict Canyon in 2009, and applied for permits to build a palatial residence.

Even in an area dotted with multi-million dollar homes, other occupants were outraged by the initial proposal for an 85,000-square-foot compound, and likened it to “building a Walmart in our neighbourhood.”

That was later scaled back to a 60,000-square-foot project but opponents argued it was still out of proportion with surrounding houses.

They called for an environmental impact study, objecting to the disruption and damage that could be caused by construction crews moving up and down narrow canyon roads.
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More than 1,000 residents signed a petition against the development which has been left in limbo.

In the latest twist, the prince’s US lawyers filed a case in Los Angeles Superior Court suing the city, claiming an environmental review was unnecessary and that it had a “mandatory duty” to issue permits for construction.

They said the project had been “carefully designed to minimise impacts on the environment and the surrounding area,” and “complies in all respects with all applicable building and zoning ordinances”.

Prince Abdul Aziz’s lawyers claim his treatment is “unfair” and he is being made to undergo “additional and unnecessary” steps in the planning process.

They have also pointed out that there are other huge mansions in Benedict Canyon, and his will not even be the biggest.

The area is known to include a number of celebrity residents. Prince Abdul Aziz’s property sits on a hillside just above Bruce Springsteen’s estate. David and Victoria Beckham, chat show host Jay Leno, Friends actress Lisa Kudrow and Kiss frontman Gene Simmons also live nearby.

Celebrities have stayed out of the dispute but a group called the Save Benedict Canyon Campaign is leading the opposition and has been vocal in its condemnation.

Nickie Miner, a member of the group and longtime resident of Benedict Canyon, said: “The prince appears intent on thumbing his nose at laws that apply to everyone else, as well as to him, in an attempt to build a mega-compound that will pose immense problems for our neighbourhood were he to circumvent his required full environmental review.”

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