[sorobahn]

  > His new home would cut into a mountainside just beneath an open space that taxpayers had bought for $64 million to fend off future development.
  > After many discussions of rules and regulations, city officials eventually cleared Prince’s plans. But a group of locals led by residents Eric and Susan Hermann have appealed, maintaining that his house would violate ordinances.

Think this is the source of the concern for some of the locals initially. The rest I feel is the bad response to the criticism the project was getting.