Giant Rooftop Statue Causes Some Grief In Lake Elsinore

A giant rooftop statue that was approved by the City of Lake Elsinore last year has caused some heartburn more than 12 months later.

The owners of a 6,000-square-foot medical office on Lakeshore Drive near Four Corners received approval by the city in summer 2011 to move forward on constructing a large-scale mortar and pestle statue for their new building’s rooftop.

Despite the green light, Richard MacHott, environmental planning consultant for the city, informed the Lake Elsinore Planning Commission Tuesday night that the mega adornment’s construction has been halted because the statue is more “onerous” than planned.

“We are negotiating with them,” MacHott said of the city’s most recent conversations with the owners over the ongoing construction of the highly visible embellishment.

Commissioner Michael O’Neal called the statue a giant “bird bath” Tuesday night and was critical of the design from the start.

There is no word yet on when work on the statue will resume.