NYC Tree House Prevails in Legal Battle, Winning Permit in Historic District
Score another win for a tree house.
A neighbor in her historic New York City neighborhood objected. But artist Melinda Hackett, 49, has won a permit from the Landmarks Preservation Commission for the circular, roofed structure with a spiral staircase wrapped around a tree trunk after months of legal battling, the Associated Press reports.
Part of the problem was that tree houses apparently are so unusual in New York that the city’s building code didn’t squarely address what is and isn’t allowed, according to the article, which features a number of photos of the structure.
“My kids come up here and have meetings. They use it as a clubhouse,” says Hackett, explaining why it was important to her three girls. “They plot. They scheme. They gossip.”
Additional coverage:
ABAJournal.com (March 2009): “Dangerous Structure Needs Regulation: The Childhood Tree House”
ABAJournal.com: “Lawyer Building Tree House Office in Pine Forest”
