Travis Kelce ’s plans to turn his $5.35 million Ohio property into a private retreat have run into another roadblock. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end has already spent money addressing concerns raised by nearby residents, but his efforts have not ended the dispute. What began as disagreements over fencing and privacy has now grown into a bigger debate about property damage , ageing infrastructure and the impact of luxury landscaping on a quiet lakeside community. The latest objections could force another change to the estate’s development plans.




Travis Kelce’s mansion landscaping plans face fresh sewer concerns The dispute centres on Kelce’s 21,000-square-foot estate in Bratenahl, Ohio, where neighbours have raised concerns about proposed landscaping near an old clay sewer line. One resident, Katherine Bolton, who has lived beside the property for 35 years, fears that planting around 50 evergreen trees could put the ageing pipeline at risk.




Her concerns are not simply about appearances. Tree roots can enter existing cracks in underground pipes, gradually widening the damage and potentially causing expensive blockages or sewage problems. Bolton said she had received an estimate of $75,000 to line her sewer pipe.




“Planting 50 evergreen trees just ten feet from a 100-year-old clay sewer line is virtually guaranteed to cause severe root intrusion, pipe structural failure, and catastrophic sewage backups,” she said, citing AI-based research.




Another neighbour, Chuck Bauernschmidt, also questioned the changes to the property's surroundings. He presented photographs and alleged that much of the existing shrubbery had been removed. He further warned that the proposed spear-topped fence could injure deer moving through the neighbourhood.




These objections have added another layer to a project that has already faced resistance over its six-foot security fence.




Travis Kelce’s team spends $7,500 to address neighbours’ complaintsKelce's representatives have pushed back against suggestions that they have ignored the community's concerns. Jacob Kutz of Tiny Construction , who oversees the project, told the board that the property owners had already paid to repair part of the damaged sewer line.




“without asking for any help, just to show we’re good neighbors.”




The $7,500 repair was presented as evidence that the project team was willing to address problems rather than leave residents dealing with the consequences.




The team also made several changes to the fence proposal. It was moved two feet inside the property's boundary, additional gates were included to preserve neighbours' access to the sewer line, and the plan to extend the fence towards the water was dropped.




However, the latest hearing did not deliver everything Kelce's team wanted. Officials approved landscaping at the front of the estate, subject to conditions on tree spacing, but withheld approval for shoreline saplings because of concerns about their eventual height.




The couple will now have to submit another revised proposal. For Kelce, the challenge is no longer just creating a secure and attractive home. It is finding a plan that satisfies local rules without creating further friction with the people living nearby.