Mitt Romney’s ludicrously ill-timed renovation of his California vacation home will include a separate elevator for cars, an outdoor shower and a 3,600-square-foot basement.
Renovation plans obtained by Politico show that the home will retain the existing outdoor pool, which faces the ocean, but will add an ambiguous “water feature” (water slide or bust, Mitt!) which raised concern among San Diego officials as to where the water would drain. The renovated beach house will be three times larger than the current home.
The Secret Service and the Mitt “Javelin” Romney campaign asked Politico not to reveal the detailed architectural plans for the renovation for security reasons.
The Romney campaign has forked over $21,500 since 2008 to San Diego lawyer Matthew A. Peterson to lobby city officials for the renovation. Peterson gave $1,000 to Romney’s campaign in January.
Romney also owns a lake house in New Hampshire and a condo in Belmont, Massachusetts. The New York Times has the rundown on Romney’s abodes, and found that Mitt is really into his bathrooms. The Belmont bathroom has vaulted ceilings and a huge soaking tub. Newt, too, has a thing for restrooms: His marbled, mirrored washroom would put Carmela Soprano to shame.
Romney said last August that his California renovations wouldn’t go ahead until after the campaign, but Michelle Sokolowski, the project manager in San Diego’s Development Services Department, explained the permit-gathering process could take years. Guess his NASCAR team–owning pals will have to wait a while to use the outdoor shower.
