Lucasfilm Cancels Expansion, Proposes Low Income Housing, Marin County Snobs Up in Arms!
Pyrrhic Victory for Foes of a New Lucasfilm Project
By Norimitsu Onishi
May 21, 2012
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — In 1978, a year after ‘Star Wars’ was released, George Lucas began building his movie production company far from Hollywood, in the quiet hills and valley of Marin County here just north of San Francisco. Starting with Skywalker Ranch, the various pieces of Lucasfilm came together over the decades behind the large trees on his 6,100-acre property, invisible from the single two-lane road that snakes through the area…
It’s inciting class warfare!
…But after spending years and millions of dollars, Mr. Lucas abruptly canceled plans recently for the third, and most likely last, major expansion, citing community opposition. An emotional statement posted online said Lucasfilm would build instead in a place ‘that sees us as a creative asset, not as an evil empire.’…
If the announcement took Marin by surprise, it was nothing compared with what came next. Mr. Lucas said he would sell the land to a developer to bring ‘low income housing’ here.
‘It’s inciting class warfare,’ said Carolyn Lenert, head of the North San Rafael Coalition of Residents.
Mr. Lucas said in an e-mail that he only wanted ‘to do something good for Marin,’ waving away accusations of ulterior motives.
