Sylvester Stallone’s plan to install a floating barrier in the Intracoastal Waterway near his $35 million Palm Beach estate has sparked controversy among neighbors.DAMON HIGGINS/PALM BEACH DAILY NEWS / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Sylvester Stallone has ruffled feathers in Palm Beach with a controversial proposal to install a floating barrier in the Intracoastal Waterway near his $35 million estate.
The project, pitched as a way to keep seaweed and debris at bay, is facing fierce opposition from neighbors who accuse the action star of trying to privatize public waterways and jeopardize local wildlife.
Stallone’s sprawling property, bought in December 2020 for $35.37 million under the Southpaw Trust, boasts a two-story mansion, a guesthouse, a pool pavilion and a private 262-foot beachfront. The estate is situated on the North End of Palm Beach, a tranquil area popular with boaters, kayakers and paddle boarders.
While Stallone’s application claims the barrier is intended to block seaweed and debris, public notices indicate its primary purpose is to deter boaters.PictureItSoldFL.com
According to documents submitted to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the US Army Corps of Engineers, Stallone wants to construct an “L-shaped” floating barrier, the Palm Beach Daily News reported.
Stretching 191 feet southward from the dock and turning 50 feet toward the shore, the barrier would rise 8 inches above water and sink 10 inches below, anchored by nylon ropes and six submerged piles.
The structure, as described by project engineers, would block seaweed and debris while allowing marine life to pass underneath.
The proposed “L-shaped” barrier would extend 191 feet into the water, anchored by piles, and include conditions to protect marine life.PictureItSoldFL.com
But the fine print tells a different story.
The Army Corps’ public notice explicitly states the project’s main objective is “to exclude boaters” from approaching the estate, with seaweed cited as a secondary concern. This revelation has angered Stallone’s neighbors, who were caught off guard by the proposal.
“A lot of neighbors are concerned,” Bradford Gary told the Daily News, who, with his wife Susan, lives nearby. “Usually when your neighbors are gonna do something, we’ve found in Palm Beach, usually they call.”
Neighbors, including Susan and Bradford Gary, oppose the project, citing safety concerns for kayakers and sailors who use the cove as a refuge from strong currents.Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock
The Garys were stunned to receive the DEP’s notice, giving them until Christmas Day to submit formal objections.
“He bought a beautiful property,” Bradford said of Stallone’s estate, calling it “one of the nicest West Indies houses” in the area. “I can see why you’d want to protect it. But you can’t just kind of stake your claim and think you own the water.”
The couple has already fired off letters to US Rep. Lois Frankel and the DEP, urging officials to reject the project. Their objections aren’t just about territorial disputes — they’re also raising safety concerns.
The cove near Stallone’s property serves as a refuge for small vessels escaping the inlet’s powerful currents.
Critics also argue the barrier could disrupt local wildlife, including federally protected manatees, seagrasses and starfish.Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
It’s frequently used by kayakers, paddle boarders and young sailors learning the ropes at the Sailfish Club.
Susan Gary recounted an incident to the outlet from when they first moved to Palm Beach. While she was kayaking and her husband was in a small Boston Whaler, she got caught in the inlet’s powerful current. Her husband, Bradford, had to throw her a tow line 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, particularly for people who are new to the area and don’t realize how strong the current can be.”
This starlet coral was spotted during a November 2022 survey by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in an area where actor Sylvester Stallone is proposing a seaweed barrier in the water next to his Palm Beach home.Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Some neighbors feel blindsided by the project and have raised objections, emphasizing that seaweed accumulation in the area has never been a significant issue.Getty Images
Beyond safety, opponents fear the barrier could harm local marine life and fragile ecosystems. The cove is home to federally protected species such as manatees and smalltooth sawfish, as well as seagrasses and coral identified in a 2022 DEP survey.
While the Army Corps has promised safeguards like floating curtains during construction, critics aren’t convinced the project’s environmental impact will be negligible. One public comment submitted during the Army Corps’ review questioned whether the barrier would pose a risk of entanglement for manatees.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has also raised concerns. Even the project’s justification is under scrutiny.
The DEP’s 2022 survey didn’t find significant seaweed accumulation in the area, a fact explained by the timing of the inspection in November when seaweed levels are naturally lower.
Built in 2014, the home occupies over 13,200 square feet and boasts 7 bedrooms and 10 full bathrooms and two half baths.DAMON HIGGINS/PALM BEACH DAILY NEWS / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
While a project engineer claimed the barrier would reduce trash and organic debris washing onto the property, skeptics like the Garys argue that seaweed is a minor issue in the North End.
Both Susan and Bradford have said they have never had a problem with seaweed accumulation.
Another local boater, speaking anonymously to the Daily News, agreed, saying the occasional seaweed sighting is hardly a nuisance.
The plan to install the barrier dates back to at least 2022, when the DEP completed a site survey.
Stallone’s team officially filed the application with the state in January 2023, and it reached the Army Corps in August. A public comment period ended in late November, with just one public objection recorded.
A view of the master bedroom at Stallone’s $35 million Palm Beach mansion.PictureItSoldFL.com
However, the Garys and other neighbors insist the process has been anything but transparent. They claim the notices weren’t adequately publicized, leaving them little time to mobilize opposition.
The Post has reached out to Stallone’s reps for comment. Requests for comment sent to the engineering firm behind the project, Isiminger & Stubbs Engineering, also were not returned by press time.
Despite the outcry, Stallone’s intentions may face significant regulatory hurdles. The Army Corps is still deliberating whether a barrier designed to deter boaters can be legally permitted in a public waterway.
Meanwhile, the DEP is accepting written comments until Dec. 25.