Elon Musk Secures Variances for Austin Mansion Amid Neighbor Complaints

Elon Musk got his way in West Lake Hills.

The upscale Austin suburb approved four variances after code-violating improvements the billionaire made to his $6.24 million mansion raised the hackles of residents.

Neighbors’ complaints about a too-tall fence, loud parties, crowded streets and rotating shifts of security personnel brought Musk’s 6,900-square-foot gated residence to the center of Wednesday’s City Council meeting.

While the variances Musk sought were approved, West Lake’s mayor pro tem made clear that he wasn’t happy about it — or other such requests that have come before the council for improvements made without necessary permits.

"I am really, really tired of constantly sitting here, listening to people coming in here asking for forgiveness," Mayor Pro Tem Gordon Bowman said before voting to grant the variances.

The fact the issues with the Musk residence got to that point was also of concern to Resist Austin, a spokesman for the organization told the council.

"The owner of (the property) has vastly more resources available than the average resident to conduct due diligence before purchasing a property and to find creative engineering solutions to meet their needs while remaining in compliance with the city code," Lexi Elio, an Austin resident who said she spoke for the organization, told the council. "We do not believe that the richest resident should receive special exceptions before or after they break the rules, which is a concerning trend for this individual’s operations across our entire state."

The issues

At issue were four variance requests, down from the six previously discussed by the suburb’s Zoning and Planning Commission — which had recommended denial.

They were meant to address:

• Complaints that placement of a keypad-activated vehicle gate causes traffic congestion, with cars "stacking" into the street and the gate operating at all hours.
• A front-yard fence and gate built on the property line in violation of the required 30-foot front-yard fence setback.
• A side-yard fence encroaching 21.5 feet into the front-yard setback.
• A fence on the west side of the property exceeding the city’s 6-foot height limit by 10.5 feet, while the front fence exceeds it by 2 feet.

The council voted on the first three variances together, approving them on a 3-2 vote. The fourth passed unanimously.

According to complaints and letters filed with West Lake Hills, security personnel reportedly change shifts three times a day. They also say a call box at the property’s gate causes cars to back up onto the narrow public cul-de-sac, which serves at least three other properties.

Another concern is that the home is being used less as a residence than as a security operation.

Paul Hemmer, who lives across the street and is president of the neighborhood homeowners association, said in a letter that was part of Wednesday’s agenda that the property serves as a "24/7/365 security office" and "operations hub" for other properties Musk owns in nearby subdivisions. Hemmer said in his letter, which was also signed by two other neighbors, that the operation would be more appropriate at Fort Knox than the cul de sac it occupies.

"I realize that (the resident) needs additional security," Hemmer said at Wednesday’s meeting. "But this house, this lot, isn’t the one. The house was on the lot when they purchased it so they could see what they were up against. (The resident) … he probably hasn’t been to the house in the last eight months."

City Council discussions had been postponed twice previously at Musk’s request, according to a city official.

Changes made

After an April meeting of the Zoning and Planning Commission, in which denial of the variances was recommended, Musk and his attorneys agreed to change some of their fences and gates to "take the concerns of the neighbors to heart," said Racy Haddad, an attorney representing Musk at the meeting.

The changes:

• Replacing the keypad and call box at the property’s vehicle gate with remote openers.
• Replacing the property’s steel gate with black fence panels that match those on the front yard.
• Submit a permit application for a portion of fence in drainage easement.
• Reduce height of side yard fence.
• Replace chain link fence with black steel fencing.
• Screen the property with mature vegetation.
• Move steel gate below street level.
• Replacing any large metal walls.

Haddad urged council to focus on the variances, the concessions made and the direct definition of hardships, which she said pertain to the property and not its owner. She added that the variances would most likely be approved for anyone else.

Roughly 80% of variances sought in West Lake Hills are approved in some fashion, Director of Building and Development Services Jennifer Bills said.

"This case, we have to consider everyone, Stratford House LLC or you or me," West Lake Hills Mayor James Vaughan said following the vote, referring to the name of the Musk-controlled company that owns the property. "I know that occasionally that can cause some public consternation, but those are the orders we have to follow."

Home, nearby ‘compound’

Musk purchased the home, which was built in 2016, through the limited liability company named after the street where the property is located. It sits at the bottom of about 2 acres of sloping land off a narrow public road.

Musk owns another nearby property that some have described as a "compound" for his extended family, including his children and their mothers. The $35 million estate features two large homes and a third house located nearby, including a 14,400-square-foot Tuscan-style mansion and a six-bedroom residence.

Musk built the gate and fence that surrounds his property without permits in 2022, violating the six city ordinances that became the official focal point. Haddad said during Wednesday’s meeting that Musk is planning to build another gate on the side of the property with a stairway but plans to get permits beforehand. That issue was not before City Council Wednesday.

The West Lake Hills mansion is unlikely to be Musk’s primary residence. At the start of 2025, he was spending much of his time in Washington, D.C., where he was working as a special adviser to President Donald Trump and leading the new Department of Government Efficiency.

Musk is said to reside primarily in a $50,000 home near Starbase, the site of his SpaceX launch facility in South Texas.