U2 guitarist The Edge. Image: GettyGetty Images
A protracted 14-year court battle to build a family compound in Malibu California has ended in disappointment for U2 guitarist, “The Edge.”
The 57-year-old rocker’s dreams of constructing a $100million family compound on an untouched Malibu mountainside was being resisted by environmental protesters who claim he wants to “pave over paradise.”
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The California Supreme Court denied a petition to review a lower court ruling which rejected approval to build on the land, shattering his construction plans.
Malibu pier at sunset, California. Image - Getty
The decision leaves the U2 guitarist and songwriter with lobbying and legal bills estimated at around $10 million.
Dean Wallraff, a lawyer for the environmental organization Sierra Club said: “He's finished - the California Supreme Court was his last resort,” the Daily Mail reports.
The Edge and Bono of the rock band U2 perform at Bridgestone Arena on May 26, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. Image: Getty
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The Edge, real name, David Evans had plans to build five large, eco-friendly homes on a ridgeline overlooking the Pacific in Malibu, called “Leaves in the Wind.”
Evans bought the 151-acre plot of untouched land at Sweetwater Mesa in 2005 for $9 million, overlooking Malibu's pier a thousand feet below.
Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. of U2 perform at The Forum on May 16, 2018 in Inglewood, California. Image: Getty
Cost of Malibu dream home plan is $78 million
He set about building five ultra-modern mini-mansions on the idyllic plot with an estimated price tag of $78 million, including $24 million for the access road alone.
The Edge's net wealth is estimated to be around $340 million.
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However, his plans outraged environmentalists who say the development would destroy a pristine, untouched mountainside, raising concerns about biological and visual effects in such sensitive habitat.
"I'm very happy that the Supreme Court decided not to review the case because it brings a definitive end to this terrible project which would have caused devastating damage," says Wallraff.
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He added that the $100-million development would have been a “scar” on an untouched hillside.
Evans can re-apply to Los Angeles County planners for new building permits, but it would be another costly years-long battle.
Evans is a founding member of the Irish band U2, led by Dublin born singer Bono.
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U2 first began performing live at small Dublin venues in 1977.
What are your thoughts on The Edges extravagant building plans and how it played out in court? Let us know in the comments below.