Spielberg's Horse Drama

By Stephen M. Silverman

06/15/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

Steven Spielberg, 54, faces a zoning battle next month over his plans to build a five-story equestrian facility in upscale Brentwood for his wife, actress and keen horsewoman Kate Capshaw, 47, about a half mile from the couple's Southern California home, the Los Angeles Times is reporting. "It's outrageous that someone has the wherewithal to unload his stable in another neighborhood," attorney John Murdock, who represents opponents of Spielberg's project, told Reuters on Tuesday. Spielberg's plans call for a 27,000-square-foot indoor riding ring with a domed, retractable room built into a hillside on top of underground parking and stables, said Murdock. The L.A. Times put a $7 million price tag on the project. Spielberg's publicist, Marvin Levy, told Reuters that the filmmaker has an open ear to hear residents' complaints and hopes that eventually they will drop their objections. A Jan. 4 hearing with the Los Angeles Zoning Administration has been set.