Facebook's Zuckerberg to demolish and rebuild his four-home California complex
Revamp is apparently being undertaken for privacy issues, but neighbours are raising security and traffic concerns
The luxury residence of Mark Zuckerberg is set for an overhaul, with plans to downsize surrounding houses amid concerns of privacy on the part of the Facebook CEO.
A public document filed with the city of Palo Alto, California, last week — and first reported by local media — shows detailed plans to reduce the size of the four houses that surround Zuckerberg's home in Palo Alto's Crescent Park neighborhood.
"The proposed project seeks to maintain the character of the neighborhood, replacing four single family homes in kind with smaller, updated versions," the document posted on the city's website says.
"The proposed homes represent approximately half of the allowable square footage for the four properties and a 20 per cent reduction in square footage relative to the existing homes that will be replaced. Additionally, three of the four proposed homes are single storey. Each is carefully located to preserve the existing tees on site."
With Walker Warner Architects mocking up the designs, the goal is to ensure the homes and surrounding gardens "blend seamlessly with the neighbourhood and feel as if they have always been there."
A Crescent Park resident told The San Jose Mercury News on Monday that the neighbourhood is "curious, but also concerned" about what Zuckerberg has planned.