Elon Musk, His 16-Foot Wall and the Feud With His Texas Neighbors - The New York Times


AI Summary Hide AI Generated Summary

Key Issues

Elon Musk's new home in West Lake Hills, Texas, has caused a dispute with his neighbors due to construction noise, increased traffic, and security personnel activity. Neighbors cite the 16-foot chain-link fence, outward-facing camera, and constant flow of vehicles as major concerns.

Neighbor Complaints

Paul Hemmer, along with other residents, has formally complained to the city about the disruption caused by Musk's property. Their concerns revolve around the disruption to their quiet street, including the parking of service vehicles, transporting of employees to other locations, and excessive activity at all hours.

Legal Ramifications

The issue escalated to a Zoning and Planning Commission meeting and is slated for further discussion at a West Lake Hills City Council session. This highlights the contrast between Musk's actions in Washington and his local difficulties with regulations.

Irony and Conclusion

The article points to the irony of Musk, known for his disregard for established norms in Washington, facing challenges due to local regulations and neighborly disputes in his own backyard. Ultimately, even immense wealth seemingly cannot fully exempt one from navigating local ordinances and community relations.

Sign in to unlock more AI features Sign in with Google
We located an Open Access version of this article, legally shared by the author or publisher. Open It

At first, residents of the upscale cul-de-sac in West Lake Hills, Texas, did not know who had moved into the 6,900-square-foot, six-bedroom mansion next door.

Then construction workers arrived to erect a 16-foot chain-link fence around the $6 million property, which is one of four homes on the leafy street. They also installed an outward-facing camera. Next, a fleet of cars — many of them Teslas — began parking on the street. Three times a day, a shift change signaled security personnel coming and going at the house. Once, the driver of a passing car shouted late at night that he was looking for a party at “E’s house.”

No one liked the commotion, or the traffic, or the keypad-activated gate opening and closing for workers and cars at all hours. So even when they learned through word of mouth that their new neighbor was Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, that did not stop some of them from grousing to the City of West Lake Hills about his mansion.

The complaints have since escalated into an uproar over city ordinances, permits and exceptions known as variances — so much so that the matter of Mr. Musk’s house landed in a contentious Zoning and Planning Commission meeting last month. The debate is headed next to a West Lake Hills City Council session, scheduled for May 14.

“Transporting service employees to other houses, leaving their cars on our quiet streets, hauling laundry to and fro to other houses has to stop,” Paul Hemmer, a neighbor and the main complainant, wrote to the Zoning and Planning Commission. The letter was also signed by the occupants of the two other houses on the street.

For the past few months, Mr. Musk, 53, has bulldozed his way across Washington, flouting long-established traditions and hacking away at what he deemed to be unnecessary federal bureaucracy. But in his own backyard outside Austin, the tech billionaire has become mired in a maze of local regulations and red tape. No one, it seems, is rich enough to escape the neighbors.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber? Log in.

Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

đź§  Pro Tip

Skip the extension — just come straight here.

We’ve built a fast, permanent tool you can bookmark and use anytime.

Go To Paywall Unblock Tool
Sign up for a free account and get the following:
  • Save articles and sync them across your devices
  • Get a digest of the latest premium articles in your inbox twice a week, personalized to you (Coming soon).
  • Get access to our AI features

  • Save articles to reading lists
    and access them on any device
    If you found this app useful,
    Please consider supporting us.
    Thank you!

    Save articles to reading lists
    and access them on any device
    If you found this app useful,
    Please consider supporting us.
    Thank you!