Johnny Depp fights City Hall

LOS ANGELES, May 2 (UPI) -- Actor Johnny Depp is fighting Los Angeles and developers over a retail development he says will block the view from his Hollywood Hills estate.

The "Pirates of the Caribbean" star's lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court claims the West Hollywood City Council violated environmental quality laws when it approved the $10 million project in 2004, The Los Angeles Times reported.

He lost the case last year and now his sister, Christi Dembrowski, is appealing on behalf of the actor. The legal battle has delayed the project for about a year, the Times said.

Depp's suit says the retail shops, a restaurant and a parking structure beneath his $5.4 million estate would block the view of his two children while playing outside.

However, developers note, Depp's 6-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son are being raised by their father and actress/singer Vanessa Paradis in France.