Community Corner

Shia LaBeouf's Neighbors Allowed to Keep Wall

L.A. City Council votes to allow the actor's neighbors to keep their 7-foot-high wall, with modifications.

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday approved a compromise in the dispute involving an illegal 7-foot-high wall constructed by neighbors of actor Shia LaBeouf, who claim they need the 120-foot-long wall to keep the paparazzi from violating their privacy.

After more than 90 minutes of testimony, the council voted 11-0 to allow the wall, which violates city code, to stay in place as long as property owners Joe and Orit Picker agree to make changes in its structure. The wall runs along the front of the Pickers' home in the 3900 block of Deervale Drive in the Sherman Oaks hills.

Several members of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association have called it "the great wall of Sherman Oaks." Elke Heitmeyer testified that the wall should be torn down, saying it was built without a permit and that it violated a city ordinance that limits the height of walls in residential areas to 3 1/2 feet.

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In defending the wall, Joe Picker told the council he put it up because paparazzi were constantly violating his privacy and threatening his security while trying to get photos of LaBeouf, who lives next door to the Pickers.

LaBeouf, who is working on a film in Canada, did not attend the hearing. However, a letter he wrote to his attorney was read to the council. In the letter, LaBeouf claimed that he has been stalked by people and bothered by paparazzi, and that he supports the Pickers in their decision to build the wall.

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After listening to the testimony, the 11-member council voted unanimously to allow the wall to stand if the Pickers agreed to allow six 8-foot breaks in the solid-white wall that would be filled with wrought iron.

When the hearing ended, Joe Picker said he was relieved. "I'm sorry that some people in my own neighborhood tried to take this action against me. I always thought that neighbors should try to get along with each other."

Elke Heitmeyer released this statement:"Two high powered attorneys, one high powered land use consultant and one city council member with an agenda–defeated regular citizens who were trying to uphold our quality of life in the hills. And the rest of the city council could not care less."


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