Sylvester Stallone invokes Donald Trump in Florida town council meeting
Kristina Webb, Palm Beach Daily News
December 25, 2024 at 6:02 PM
Sylvester Stallone invoked his friend President-elect Donald Trump at a Palm Beach town council meeting earlier this month.
After hearing outcry from neighbors and concerns from Town Council members about a proposed seaweed barrier near his North End Palm Beach home, action star Sylvester Stallone pulled the plans during a testy public meeting on Dec. 19, according to the Palm Beach Daily News, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.
Stallone's representatives had said in state and federal applications that the barrier was necessary to prevent seaweed and other debris from washing up on his beach. But an October public notice from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said agency officials believed that was a secondary concern, with the primary purpose being to "exclude boaters" from the area directly next to Stallone's home. Stallone attended the meeting with his wife, Jennifer Flavin Stallone, and members of the project team.
Neighbors first heard about the project earlier this month when several received a notice seeking public comment from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
A project engineer sent an email soon after the Town Council meeting to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to withdraw that application, according to publicly available records.
The Army Corps has not responded to a request to confirm that application was withdrawn as well. However, the project no longer appears on a map or in a database on the Army Corps website.
The estate where the famed "Rocky" and "Rambo" actor and his wife live includes a 262-foot private beach on the lake, along with a two-story mansion, a guesthouse and a pool pavilion. The property is near the very northern edge of Palm Beach and the Palm Beach Inlet, with a view west toward the Port of Palm Beach and a view to the northwest toward Peanut Island, which is a popular recreation and party spot for boaters and kayakers.
His property is a unique piece of land because of its location and how the current flows through the area, he said. The spot also has a lot of "interesting aquatic life," Stallone said.
But there used to be even more, he noted. The area has been adversely affected by boaters, Stallone said.
"There's a lot of traffic that comes in there, because of our notoriety," he said, adding that while there are "lookie-loos," there are also fishermen and tour boats. Vessels will come into the area next to Stallone's home, drop anchor and stay there for 10 hours while they have a party or fish, he said.
"We're trying to make this pristine," he said.
He noted there is a lot of bird activity in the area, eliciting laughter from those at the meeting when he mistakenly said "penguins" instead of pelicans. He laughed, and joked, "I gotta study up on my geographics a little bit."
Stallone also raised the issue of derelict boats, or vessels that have been left to rot in the waterway. People also dump trash and other waste in the Intracoastal, he said.
"It's unbelievable to me that you can have your house ... and you can have some guy sit there for 10 months and do his laundry in front, and there's nothing you can do about it," Stallone said. He added that he is working with Trump, with whom he is friends, on the issue.
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"It's almost something that's been kind of lax, and no one's really paying attention," Stallone said. "Well, I'm going to pay attention. Trust me."
He cited recent manatee deaths in the state in saying that he wants to clean up waterways and prevent more damage from being done.
"Thank you very much for your time," Stallone said. "I have to go feed my penguins. They're hungry."
Speaking before Stallone's decision to withdraw his plans from consideration, Mayor Danielle Moore told the council the barrier would set a bad precedent for Palm Beach.
"I think it's appropriate that we object to this," Moore said, adding later, "Unfortunately, I understand all the circumstances. But I also understand that I believe it would be taking away the rights of boaters and the public to use this particular area."
Minnie Pulitzer -- daughter of fashion icon and designer Lilly Pulitzer, who lives in and grew up on the North End -- implored Stallone to reconsider his plans.
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"If you allow this, you set a precedent for it to happen all the way down through Palm Beach," she told the council.
After neighbors' comments, Stallone said he understood their concerns.
"You're great neighbors and you've been here a long time, and we respect your work and the way you see this," he said, adding that his plan for the barrier "was not just a vanity thing."
Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at [email protected]. Subscribe today to support our journalism.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Sylvester Stallone invokes Donald Trump in Palm Beach town meeting