Developer Mohamed Hadid is expected to go to trial as early as this week over his controversial spec house on Strada Vecchia in Bel Air, but the fate of the mansion itself remains a subject of contention.
Critics of the 30,000-square-foot mansion, nicknamed the “Starship Enterprise,” want the bulk of the home torn down. They argue that that if the home remains standing it would send the wrong message to wealthy developers who are willing to break the city’s rules.
Mike Eveloff, board member of Fix the City, said the city must take a hard line with Hadid.
“You cannot cross it or the structure has to come down,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “You can’t reward that behavior.”
Hadid submitted revised plans for the property earlier this month but city records show it has not received clearance from the city’s building department and the plans still do not meet the city’s guidelines on hillside construction, grading and building height, according to the Times.
City records also indicate that many of the unapproved sections are underneath other parts of the home, including an “entire story…created below basement level,” meaning it would be difficult to remove them.
Hadid’s attempts to legalize the home will be even harder since Los Angeles imposed new, stricter rules on building in Bel Air since he started construction. Under those rules, houses larger than 17,500 square feet must go through a tougher review that includes environmental studies and a public hearing, according to the Times. [LAT] — Subrina Hudson