Real estate baron, on-and-off politician, and reality TV star Donald Trump announced today he will drop plans to develop 16 new luxury houses on the driving range of his eponymous Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes. The plan was heartily opposed by area residents, especially those who are already living in other parts of the course (Trump used to own a house there himself). Trump told a press conference this morning that this "was not an easy thing to do" because the land is valued at "much more than $25 million," according to the Daily Breeze. And yet the ever-philanthropic Trump is doing it, and even granting a conservation easement to the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy, meaning the 11 acres can't be developed at all (they'll stay a driving range), according to CBS LA.
Here's @realDonaldTrump announcing an 11.5-acre conservation easement to @PVPLC at Trump National Golf Club. pic.twitter.com/AixR7OTjjI
— Megan Barnes (@meg_barnes) January 15, 2015
In the roughly 13 years it's been Trump National, the club has been caught out for flying an illegal flag (later made legal by the city), planting illegal ficus trees to block ugly neighboring houses, and killing an off-leash dog beach. Trump bought the course in 2002 after the eighteenth hole of the Ocean Trails Golf Club fell into the ocean during a landslide. Since some of the coastline is probably still unstable, the question everyone wants answered is, "If Donald Trump were to fall in the Pacific Ocean in a landslide, could he use his hair piece to float to safety?"
· Trump agrees not to develop scenic golf range in LA County [CBS Local]
· Donald Trump [Curbed LA]
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