A Bratenahl neighbor is defending Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce against what they call overblown backlash over the couple’s $5.35 million Ohio mansion plans.
The unnamed resident, who lives minutes from the lakefront property, said exclusively that most of the tiny village is actually thrilled about the famous newcomers. “I think they’re excited. I think it’s great,” the neighbor said. “I don’t think people are angry.”
Swift, 35, and Kelce, 36, purchased the eight-bedroom, 11-bathroom estate in March in Bratenahl, a 552-acre residential village six miles east of downtown Cleveland on Lake Erie’s shores. The enclave is widely recognized as one of Ohio’s most exclusive and wealthiest per-capita communities, stretching just four miles with approximately 1,200 residents.
The couple’s planned six-foot black aluminum privacy fence and landscaping changes have drawn formal objections from some nearby homeowners. Chuck Bauernschmidt, who lives two doors down, previously blasted what he called the “ridiculous… Clear cutting of the shrubbery and everything else,” claiming “all the trees are gone” and warning that deer could impale themselves on the fence.
Katherine Bolton, who has lived next door for more than three decades, has raised separate concerns about evergreens planned near a century-old shared sewer line. She warned of potential “catastrophic sewer backups” and said she had been quoted $75,000 to protect the pipe against tree roots.
But the supportive neighbor believes objections are limited to just those adjacent properties. “I think it’s just the neighbors on either side who object,” they explained. “I don’t know why they object — they’ve done a really nice job fixing up the house.”
Jacob Kutz of Tiny Construction, the couple’s planner, has defended the project, noting they were “looking for privacy and security… After one of the largest sales in Cuyahoga County.” He pointed out that the original plan was already scaled back from an eight-foot fence surrounding the property to a six-foot version that stops short of Lake Erie.
The pop star and Super Bowl champion have not attended any previous community meetings in person, instead sending representatives. The neighbor doubts they will appear at Tuesday night’s session either.
That meeting of the Architectural Review Board, scheduled for Tuesday, November 10 at Bratenahl’s community center, will again address the landscaping plans. A formal notice from the Village of Bratenahl announced the gathering.
The neighbor actually reached out to community members ahead of the meeting, hoping to present a unified front. “We don’t want them to feel unwelcome,” they said. “The rest of the neighborhood will absolutely be supportive. Everyone else has been excited.”
The resident admitted they do not expect to actually encounter the Grammy winner or the NFL star around town. When asked whether they anticipated bumping into the couple, they scoffed, “Oh, I doubt it.”
They also noted that typical village meetings draw sparse attendance, but gatherings specifically about Swift and Kelce’s plans have attracted unusually large crowds and media attention. “I haven’t attended any of the meetings,” they added. “Usually, these meetings aren’t very well attended.”
The couple’s representatives did not respond to the outlet’s request for comment.
The Architectural Review Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening at Bratenahl’s community center.