Sylvester Stallone has ruffled feathers in Palm Beach with a controversial proposal to install a floating barrier in the Intracoastal Waters near his $35 million estate.
The project, pitched as a way to keep out seaweed and rubbish, is facing fierce opposition from neighbors who accuse the action star of trying to privatize public waterways and endanger local wildlife.
Stallone’s sprawling estate, purchased in December 2020 for $35.37 million under the Southpaw Trust, boasts a two-story mansion, a guest house, a pool pavilion and a 262-foot private beach. The property is located at the north end of Palm Beach, a quiet area popular with boaters, kayakers and paddle boarders.
According to documents filed with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the US Army Corps of Engineers, Stallone wants to build an “L-shaped” floating barrier, the Palm Beach Daily News reported.
Extending 191 feet south from the dock and turning 50 feet toward shore, the barrier would rise 8 inches above the water and sink 10 inches below, anchored by nylon ropes and six submerged piles.
The structure, as described by project engineers, would trap seaweed and debris while allowing marine life to pass underneath.
But the fine print tells a different story.
The Army Corps’ public notice explicitly states the primary objective of the project is to “exclude boaters” from approaching the property, with seaweed cited as a secondary concern. The revelation has angered Stallone’s neighbors, who were caught off guard by the proposal.
“A lot of neighbors are concerned,” Bradford Gary, who, with his wife Susan, lives nearby, told the Daily News. “Usually when your neighbors are going to do something, we’ve found in Palm Beach, usually they call.”
The Garys were surprised to receive the DEP’s notice, giving them until Christmas Day to file formal objections.
“He bought a beautiful property,” Bradford said of Stallone’s estate, calling it “one of the nicest West Indian houses” in the area. “I can understand why you want to protect him. But you can’t stake your claim and think you own the water.”
The couple has already sent letters to the US representative. Lois Frankel and the DEP, urging officials to reject the project. Their objections are not just about territorial disputes – they are also raising security concerns.
The harbor near Stallone’s property serves as a shelter for small boats escaping the powerful incoming currents.
It is often used by kayakers, paddle boarders and young sailors learning the ropes at the Sailfish Club.
Susan Gary recounted an incident in the media from when they first moved to Palm Beach. While she was kayaking and her husband was on a small whale in Boston, she was caught in a strong incoming current. Her husband, Bradford, had to throw her a tow rope to pull her to safety.
Blocking access to this safe zone, she warned, could endanger inexperienced boaters unfamiliar with the inlet’s challenging waters.
“From that experience, I would say it was a safety issue, especially for people who are new to the area and don’t realize how strong the current can be.”
Beyond safety, opponents fear the barrier could harm local marine life and fragile ecosystems. The harbor is home to federally protected species such as manatees and minnows, as well as seagrasses and corals identified in a 2022 DEP survey.
While the Army Corps has promised safeguards such as floating curtains during construction, critics are not convinced the project’s environmental impact will be negligible. A public comment submitted during the Army Corps’ review questioned whether the barrier would pose an entanglement hazard to manatees.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has also raised concerns. The rationale for the project is also under review.
The 2022 DEP survey found no significant accumulation of seaweed in the area, a fact explained by the timing of the inspection in November, when seaweed levels are naturally lower.
While a project engineer claimed the barrier would reduce litter and organic waste washing onto the property, skeptics like the Garys argue that seaweed is a minor problem in the northern part.
Both Susan and Bradford said they never had a problem with seaweed build-up.
Another local boater, speaking anonymously to the Daily News, agreed, saying the occasional sight of seaweed is not a nuisance.
The plan to install the barrier dates back to at least 2022, when DEP completed a field study.
Stallone’s team formally submitted its application to the state in January 2023 and reached the Army Corps in August. A public comment period ended in late November, with only one public objection recorded.
However, the Garys and other neighbors insist the process has been anything but transparent. They claim that the notices were not adequately publicized, leaving them little time to mobilize the opposition.
The Post has reached out to Stallone’s representatives for comment. Requests for comment sent to the engineering firm behind the project, Isiminger & Stubbs Engineering, were also not returned by press time.
Despite the protests, Stallone’s intentions may face significant regulatory hurdles. The Army Corps is still debating whether a barrier designed to obstruct boaters can legally be allowed on a public waterway.
Meanwhile, DEP is accepting written comments through December. 25.
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