Look out, ocean: You're next.
Donald Trump sued the Palm Beach airport this week under the Environmental/Toxic tort, citing noise pollution and seeking to prevent both the airport's planned expansion and air travel over his sprawling oceanside mansion, Mar-a-Lago.
To be fair, the digs were there first.
The estate first opened its doors in January 1927 under the auspices of the dowager queen of Palm Beach. Latin for "Sea to Lake," Mar-a-Lago's architecture is a blend of Spanish, Venetian, and Portuguese influences. It sits across from the Atlantic Ocean, just a mile or so south from the flagpole at the Palm Beach beach.
Palm Beach International Airport, on the other hand, began as a single drag strip in 1936.
But as far as maximizing the gains of a situation, Mar-a-Lago plays host to Trump, his posse of rich buddies, and maybe the occasional tennis benefit (maybe). PBIA facilitates the lives of, oh I don't know, more than 1 million residents of Palm Beach County, plus several more million visitors year-round.
Shall we call it a draw?
Trump first filed a $100 million lawsuit against the Town of Palm Beach in 1992 over the development plan of Mar-a-Lago; the Town Council eventually acquiesed, and Trump turned a big chunk of his property into a private club.
In 1995, Mar-a-Lago Club sued Palm Beach again, this time for the flights over his home that Trump claims carry too much noise and fuel exhaust. The county again gave in, promising no noise levels above the status quo.
Clearly, Trump's been keeping an ear on things in the past 15 years. Beachgoing kids, don't meddle on his lawn. And Atlantic Ocean, let's keep our high tides in a modest range, you hear?
