Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s privacy wall plans at $5.35 million Ohio mansion face fresh review; neighbour says couple has more support than backlash; residents divided over fence and landscaping changes |
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s plans to improve privacy at their $5.35 million Ohio mansion are once again drawing attention, with their proposed boundary wall set to come before a local review board. However, despite objections from some residents, a neighbour has claimed that the couple has more support in the community than the controversy suggests.Speaking anonymously to Page Six ahead of the latest community meeting, a resident of Bratenahl, the lakeside village where the couple own their property, said most locals were excited about the high-profile newcomers and did not share the anger expressed by a few neighbours.“I think they’re excited. I think it’s great. I don’t think people are angry,” the neighbour told the publication.The comments come amid a dispute over the couple’s plans for a privacy fence and landscaping changes at their sprawling lakefront residence. While the proposal has faced objections over its impact on the surrounding environment and neighbouring properties, the resident insisted that the opposition was not representative of the entire village.
Neighbour says most residents want Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce to feel welcome
The couple’s original proposal for an eight-foot privacy fence was rejected in September, prompting a revised six-foot plan. (Photo: Chestnut Hill Realty Inc)
The neighbour suggested that objections were largely coming from a small number of homeowners living close to the property rather than the wider community.“I think it’s just the neighbors on either side who object. I don’t know why they object — they’ve done a really nice job fixing up the house,” the resident said.The source also revealed that they had reached out to other members of the community ahead of the meeting, hoping to ensure that Swift and Kelce did not get the impression that they were unwelcome in their new neighbourhood.“We don’t want them to feel unwelcome,” the neighbour said, adding that “the rest of the neighborhood will absolutely be supportive. Everyone else has been excited.”Bratenahl is a small residential village located around six miles east of downtown Cleveland, along the shores of Lake Erie. Spread across approximately 552 acres, the community has around 1,200 residents and is regarded as one of Ohio’s wealthiest residential enclaves.The neighbour also noted that meetings concerning the couple’s property had attracted more attention than usual. Although community gatherings are generally not very well attended, discussions about Swift and Kelce’s landscaping plans have drawn larger crowds and media coverage.
Why Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s privacy wall proposal has faced objections
Some neighbours have objected to the proposed fence and landscaping changes, citing concerns over local wildlife and a shared sewer line. (Photo: Cleveland 19)
Kelce purchased the eight-bedroom, 11-bathroom lakefront mansion for $5.35 million in March. Since then, the couple have reportedly been working on changes to the historic property, including measures to improve privacy and security.Their original proposal reportedly included an eight-foot fence around the estate. That plan was rejected in September, prompting a revised proposal involving a six-foot black aluminium fence that would not extend all the way to Lake Erie.The couple’s representatives have defended the plans, arguing that the property requires additional security given their public profiles.Their planner, Jacob Kutz of Tiny Construction, said they were “looking for privacy and security … after one of the largest sales in Cuyahoga County”.The latest review board discussions have also focused on landscaping changes, including the removal of existing trees and shrubs and the proposed planting of new greenery around the property.
Neighbours raise concerns about trees, deer and sewer lines
Not everyone living near the mansion has welcomed the proposed changes. Some residents have questioned whether the fence could create problems for local wildlife, particularly deer, while others have objected to the changes to the property’s existing vegetation.Neighbour Chuck Bauernschmidt, who lives two doors away, previously criticised what he described as the “ridiculous … clear cutting of the shrubbery and everything else”. He also claimed that the trees had been removed and warned that deer could injure themselves on the proposed fence.Katherine Bolton, who has lived next door to the property for more than three decades, has raised a separate concern about the couple’s landscaping plans. She has objected to the proposed planting of evergreen trees near a century-old shared sewer line, warning that roots could damage the infrastructure and lead to serious sewer problems.Bolton has reportedly raised the possibility of “catastrophic sewer backups” and said she had been quoted $75,000 to protect the pipe against potential damage from tree roots.The couple have not attended previous review board meetings in person, instead relying on representatives to present their plans. The neighbour who spoke to Page Six also doubted that Swift and Kelce would personally attend the latest gathering.For now, the proposed privacy measures remain a matter for the local review process. While some neighbours continue to question the plans, others appear keen to make the singer and the NFL star feel at home in Bratenahl.
