For more than 20 years, the Diamond Head neighbors of Shangri La, the oceanfront estate of tobacco heiress Doris Duke, have been at peace with Dukeʻs dying wish to transform her private residence into a public institution for the study of Islamic art and culture.
They say up until about a year ago their neighborhood has remained mostly tranquil with four shuttle vans traveling up their street during the day to deliver groups of 24 visitors to meetings and tours at the museum, along with only a few nighttime receptions.
But for the first time since Shangri La became a museum in 2002, many neighbors directly adjacent to Dukeʻs property and on its street, Papu Circle, are at odds with the organization and have joined forces to oppose its application for a modification of its conditional use permit to allow a large increase in evening receptions.
“I get low level anxiety when I hear the neighbors are upset,” said Ben Weitz, executive director of Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture and Design for the last two years. “We are not asking for a new Shangri La but to provide more access to the museum.”…