Shirley MacLaine is abandoning plans to build a home on a mountaintop after drawing criticism from environmentalists and being accused of trying to make herself "queen of the mountain."
The actress said Tuesday she has decided to sell the 35-acre tract on Atalaya Mountain. The site on the edge of Sante Fe, N.M., is worth an estimated $1.5 million.MacLaine said city officials should decide how to accommodate newcomers who love the area while protecting the environment.
"You only do that if you have a plan, but they didn't. And as far as I know, they don't," she said. "Frankly, if they didn't want the mountain bought, they shouldn't have put it up for sale."
MacLaine's plan drew the ire of neighbor and former Interior Secretary Steward Udall, who accused her of trying to become "queen of the mountain."