Unhappy Neighbors of Neverland

Neighbors of Neverland in the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County, California, fear that turning Neverland into a museum and a tourist attraction will disrupt the peace of this agricultural area. On Monday, the neighbors formed a group called "Never" to make their protest heard by officials. With support from social organizations, they do not want the quiet and low-activity Los Olivos area—like Elvis’s home, Graceland—to become a commercial market. Bob Field, spokesperson for this group, said the area lacks police security and road capacity to welcome tourists who might rush into the area during large gatherings. The Los Olivos business organization, made up of wineries, restaurants, and boutiques, also announced in a separate statement that it is dissatisfied with turning Neverland into a tourist attraction. A spokesperson for Santa Barbara County said that turning Neverland into a tourist attraction requires changing the zoning of the property from agricultural to commercial. This will be a long process, and it is necessary for people in the area to be able to express their views in public conferences. He said the owners of Neverland have not yet taken any action to change the zoning and have not contacted county officials. Thomas Barak, who is a partner in the Neverland property and also part of Michael’s family, has also not taken any steps to turn Neverland into a tourist attraction. But Bob Field, spokesperson for the people in the area, says he is suspicious of Barak’s behavior because he has taken the area’s politicians and party leaders on a tour of Neverland and hosted them there for fancy breakfasts and dinners. Field, who participated in one of these tours, says Barak’s representative told him that no decision will be made anytime soon, but did not rule out the possibility of Neverland becoming a tourist attraction. Field says that on that tour, baseball caps with the words "Neverland 2009" were distributed among the guests. Source: eMJey / mymotherload.com