Permitting Tree Houses

Only in Los Angeles... A posh kids' treehouse in Brentwood inspires the ire of his neighbor who calls in LA's building inspector to shut down construction.

1 minute read

October 27, 2005, 9:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen

"Romero is a renowned builder of elaborate treehouses for such celebrities as Sting and Donna Karan. His work can be found in the "fantasy gift" section of this year's Neiman Marcus holiday catalog. Beginning price: $50,000. ...Romero and his buddies built a roughly 10-foot-by-10-foot structure of reclaimed wood, salvaged windows and vintage stained glass from Buenos Aires...

Enter the city of Los Angeles. As the treehouse neared completion last Thursday, city inspector Thomas Sze arrived on the Firestein-Lurie doorstep, responding, he told them, to an anonymous complaint."

FULL STORY: Not in My Neighbor's Backyard

Wednesday, October 26, 2005 in The Los Angeles Times

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