Sam Adams Alliance

Before he left, Grapin promised his sons he would build them a tree house when he returned. He kept his promise.

After obtaining the necessary building permits in Fairfax County, Va., Grapin, with the help of his sons, built a truly awe-inspiring tree house any little boy would be proud to call his castle.  But, not long after the arboreal masterpiece was completed, an anonymous complaint was lodged with the county claiming the tree house violated zoning laws.  And that got the county zoning board involved.

The Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals claims that because the tree house was constructed in the front yard, it violates a local ordinance prohibiting such structures.  The board has ruled that the tree house must be demolished. Grapin is appealing this decision, and a hearing is scheduled for November 30.

Neighborhood Integrity

Generally, zoning laws, and the boards that govern them, help protect the value of property values.  The laws are often used to preserve the integrity of neighborhoods and separate developed areas from residential areas.

So it’s understandable that homeowners don’t want one of their neighbors to throw a jalopy on cinder blocks in the front yard. Likewise, parents don’t want a strip club opened up down the street from the playground.  But a tree house?

We hear all the time about federal government overreach, but sometimes, as in this case, it’s the local authorities that need to back off. That tree house, the tree it’s built in, and the land it sits on is all Grapin’s property, and—within reasonable limit—she should be allowed to do with it as he pleases.