"Rob Lowe narrowly won approval from planners for a massive dream estate on his $8.5 million Montecito lot despite a neighbor's complaint the mansion would spoil his panoramic ocean view.
"I've always been a big believer in the process. I'm obviously pleased with the outcome," the 42-year-old former star of "The West Wing" said after Wednesday's 3-2 vote by the Montecito Planning Commission.
The vote came after a daylong commission debate over whether the proposed 14,260-square-foot estate would overwhelm the Picacho Lane neighborhood, which is also home to mystery writer Sue Grafton.
Lowe's proposal calls for a 24-foot-high privacy hedge that would screen the estate from neighbor Fred Gluck, former head of the international consulting firm McKinsey & Co. Gluck said the hedge would partially block views of the Pacific.
The complaint blossomed into a debate on the expanding size of Montecito homes.
Lowe, who purchased the 3.4-acre undeveloped property for about $8.5 million last year, told the commission that Gluck first complained about potential view loss, then on the size of the home.
He noted that Gluck's 8,577-square-foot home also exceeds Montecito guidelines for what planners call floor-area ratios.
Lowe's proposal is to build a 9,860-square-foot home with a 2,000-square-foot basement, an 800-square-foot guesthouse, an 800-square-foot second-story cabana with an 800-square-foot garage below. There will also be a swimming pool, spa and tennis court.
On Wednesday, three commissioners sided with Lowe and said the estate was compatible with the neighborhood. Two agreed with Gluck that the project sets a disturbing precedent."
