Man ordered to remove 4-story tree house

upi ^ | Oct. 20

[JoeProBono]

WORCESTER, Mass.- A Worcester, Mass., man said he will not appeal the city's order to tear down the $12,000 four-story tree house he built on his property .

Michael Chapman, 48 -- who built the tree house over the course of three months from more than a ton of pressure-treated lumber, 1,000 feet of rope, about 500 lag screws and 48 feet of rebar -- said the city ordered him to remove the tree house by Nov. 2 and he intends to abide by the order, The Boston Globe reported Tuesday.

Officials from Worcester's Department of Inspectional Services said they visited the property after receiving complaints from neighbors and determined the tree house violated city ordinances by extending higher than 15 feet and reaching within 5 feet of the property line.

"It came out bigger and more conspicuous than I expected, and I'm saddened by the controversy," Chapman said. "If I had done it over again, I would have tried to be more detailed in my pre-negotiations with my neighbors. But hindsight is 20-20."- A Worcester, Mass., man said he will not appeal the city's order to tear down the $12,000 four-story tree house he built on his property .

Michael Chapman, 48 -- who built the tree house over the course of three months from more than a ton of pressure-treated lumber, 1,000 feet of rope, about 500 lag screws and 48 feet of rebar -- said the city ordered him to remove the tree house by Nov. 2 and he intends to abide by the order, The Boston Globe reported Tuesday.

Officials from Worcester's Department of Inspectional Services said they visited the property after receiving complaints from neighbors and determined the tree house violated city ordinances by extending higher than 15 feet and reaching within 5 feet of the property line.

"It came out bigger and more conspicuous than I expected, and I'm saddened by the controversy," Chapman said. "If I had done it over again, I would have tried to be more detailed in my pre-negotiations with my neighbors. But hindsight is 20-20."

[JoeProBono]

This 6,000 sq ft. tree house is the world’s largest. Located on the grounds of Alnwick Gardens, about 95 miles north south of Edinburgh, Scotland, the leviathan soars 56ft. above the ground and is connected with 4,000-square-feet of suspended walkways. There’s even a 120-seat restaurant — as well as wobble bridges, classrooms, turrets, and God knows what else. Naturally, this building was also built sustainably with the website saying Canadian Cedar, Scandinavian Redwood and English and Scots pine were all used in construction.

[Daffynition]

My heart bleeds for him.

[happilymarriedmom]

Wow! Thats not a tree house, it’s a TREES house!

[Brett66]

That is really cool, I guess this isn’t what he’s living in?

[Disambiguator]

After reading the article, I felt like I had read it twice.

[Daffynition]

Well here ya go: "...the structure, which he dubbed "Heart of Oak" on a plaque attached to the tree, will have to go."

[trisham]

What a shame.

[Ingtar]

If he wanted unobtrusive, Uncle Walt might have been a better inspiration:

Swiss Family Robinson Tree House - Disneyland

[RetSignman]

That is quite cool, but I think he left one equation out of tree house...tree’s GROW.

[Never on my watch]

$12,000?! I need this guy to do a room addition.

[Never on my watch]

Oh nevermind. The first tree house is not his.

[JoeProBono]

There's something magical about a tree house

[GeronL]

Has the idiot ever heard of a backyard?

[JoeProBono]

[bmwcyle]

That is a work of art.

[Daffynition]

Video & News story about the treehouse.

[Daffynition]

A screengrab from the video.

[Daffynition]

You betcha!

[JoeProBono]

Room with a view

[thefactor]

the poster of this thread has a really bad habit of posting an article then linking a photo that is NOT the subject of the story. it’s really annoying. he does it all the time.