photo credit: Daily Mail
Isn’t Obama afraid of rising sea levels because of climate change?
A maskless Barack Obama was spotted meeting with contractors and construction workers on his new multimillion dollar Hawaii beachfront mansion.
The Daily Mail obtained photos of Obama meeting with architects at his new property on Oahu.
Marty Nesbit, a friend of the Obamas and current chairman of the Barack Obama Foundation, purchased the estate in 2015 for $8.7 million.
The Obamas are planning to retire at this Oahu estate one day.
The Daily Mail reported:
Barack Obama has been pictured at his new multimillion-dollar Hawaii mansion for the very first time, but he did not yet appear to be on island time.
Construction has been mired in controversy because the project used a planning loophole to retain a sea wall that is almost certainly causing beach erosion.
Some of the architects and construction workers present appeared to be carrying plans of the intricate design, but it seems the building, nestled in the Native Hawaiian community of Waimanalo, still has some way to go before it reaches presidential standards.
The building of the enormous beachfront property where Obama plans to retire someday was purchased for $8.7 million by his close friend Marty Nesbitt in 2015.
The developers are currently building three homes on the site including two swimming pools and a security fence on the three-acre parcel of beachfront land.
Obama’s new beachfront property (former Magnum PI house)
controversial sea wall
Obama’s friend Marty Nesbit bought the property for $8.7 million and used a loophole to preserve the century-old sea wall protecting the 3-acre estate.
According to environmentalists, the sea wall contributes to beach erosion and causes damage to the natural coastline, but Obama’s friend paid $61,400 to keep the ugly sea wall when he purchased the property in 2015.
ProPublica reported:
As Barack Obama entered the home stretch of his presidency, his close friend Marty Nesbitt was scouting an oceanfront property on Oahu, the Hawaiian island where the two regularly vacationed together with their families.
The property had one major problem though: a century-old seawall. While the concrete structure had long protected the estate from the sea, it now stood at odds with modern laws designed to preserve Hawaii’s natural coastlines. Scientists and environmental experts say seawalls are the primary cause of beach loss throughout the state. Such structures interrupt the natural flow of the ocean, preventing beaches from migrating inland.
Community members are now rallying against the proposed seawall expansion. Some are directing their criticism at Obama, who staked his legacy, in part, on fighting climate change and promoting environmental sustainability.
Obama’s personal office declined to comment, referring inquiries to Nesbitt. And Nesbitt, who declined to be interviewed, would not directly address questions about ownership, only saying that he and his wife bought the land and were “the developers” of the estate.
In written responses to questions, Nesbitt, now chair of the Obama Foundation board and co-CEO of a Chicago-based private-equity firm, said the steps he’s taken to redevelop the property and expand the seawall are “consistent with and informed by the analysis of our consultants, and the laws, regulations and perspectives of the State of Hawaii.” Any damage the structure caused to the Waimanalo beach, he added, occurred decades ago “and is no longer relevant.”
The Obamas also own a multimillion waterfront Martha’s Vineyard estate.
