What good is being part of the 1 percent if you can’t upset other members of the 1 percent? Film legend George Lucas plans to build 224 affordable housing units on a portion of his Marin County ranch, drawing accusations of class warfare from angry neighbors. The space had previously been planned as an expansion of his famed Skywalker Ranch film studio, but neighbors blocked the studio plans. Lucas’ housing plan would cover 52 acres and would include both workforce housing and senior housing, along with community space.
Lucas’s lawyer, Gary Giacomini, told the local CBS affiliate that “we’ve got enough millionaires here. What we need is some houses for regular working people.” Lucas sold his film studio Lucasfilm to Disney for $4 billion in 2012, giving him more than enough spare cash to foot the projected $150 million bill for the homes.
Lucas previously gave up on building a film museum in the Presidio after his plan faced withering opposition; he later chose to build it in Chicago, his part-time home and the hometown of his wife, Mellody Hobson.
