The filing seeks permission from the Planning and Community Environment Department of the city to demolish the four houses and replace them with smaller ones that will take up 20% less space.
"The plans will reduce overall square footage relative to the existing homes and aim to ensure the new structures and surrounding gardens blend seamlessly with the neighborhood," a letter to neighbors stated.
Zuckerberg’s plan is to demolish all four structures at the same time to minimize the duration of the construction process. Nonetheless, residents have expressed concern.
"Is he just developing it or is he creating some sort of compound which will have a constant turnover of visitors and employees," resident and president of the Crescent Park Neighborhood Association, Norm Beamer, said to Mercury News. "It's a question of whether it's a normal residential development or some unusual use that might create traffic and security issues and so forth."
One of the purchases has already led to Zuckerberg being targeted with a lawsuit. A developer claimed he gave the CEO a discount in the purchase price of one of the homes, in exchange for a promise that the former would be introduced to other Silicon Valley tycoons. The developer claimed that Zuckerberg did not hold up his end of the bargain.
