The City Of Los Angeles Is Back To Business After The Wildfires, Forcing A Simpsons Producer To Take Down A Treehouse In His Backyard That Was Beloved By Children For Decades

LA Times - An epic treehouse that has stood in Sherman Oaks for 24 years now teeters on the brink of destruction after the city of L.A. declared the whimsical creation a crime.

“The Simpsons” producer Rick Polizzi built the treehouse, dubbed Boney Island, in his front yard as a playhouse for his daughters. He says it’s become a quirky local landmark loved by the neighborhood children and visited by celebrities such as Halle Berry, Christina Aguilera and Will Ferrell.

But the city says it runs afoul of building permit requirements and has pursued criminal charges against him.

For the last eight years, Polizzi has fought to keep the three-story structure standing, spending more than $50,000 on legal fees and zoning permits. Now, with a trial looming in March, Polizzi is preparing to tear it down rather than spend thousands more defending it in court.

News of the tree house’s imminent demolition has been met with public outcry; more than 6,000 people have signed a petition to try to save it

Polizzi, a three-time Emmy Award-winning producer, built the structure with the help of fellow “Simpsons” producer Michael Mahan. Polizzi said it quickly became a favorite gathering spot in Sherman Oaks and, on Halloween, attracted thousands of visitors as part of an annual Boney Island display.

It's nice to see the city of Los Angeles has its priorities straight. It's not like they have anything bigger to be concerned about. 

You ever sit back and wonder why regular people hate politicians and bureaucrats? 

Well, look no further than what's happening right now in Sherman Oaks, where Los Angeles city officials have bravely decided their biggest crisis isn't homelessness, crime, devastating wildfires wiping out entire neighborhoods, or potholes swallowing entire SUVs, but a TREEHOUSE. 

The city of angels, famous for its sprawling homeless encampments, catastrophic wildfires, and traffic nightmares, has heroically taken the steps to dismantle a beloved neighborhood landmark because of "paperwork."

Dick Polizzi, the Emmy-winning former producer of The Simpsons, built this legendary three-story treehouse called "Boney Island" years ago for his daughters. 

Over the decades, it turned into an iconic neighborhood attraction, especially during Halloween, pulling in droves of delighted families and celebrities alike. We’re talking Halle Berry-level celeb sightings here up the wazoo. 

But apparently, one angry neighbor with the social life of a DMV worker and a vendetta against fun, decided it was too popular and tattled to city officials. And thus began a legal saga more absurd than the "Treehouse of Horror" itself.

The city, flexing its bureaucratic muscles, threw everything from ADA compliance (seriously guys?, a wheelchair-accessible treehouse?) to fucking "soil reports" at Polizzi. (No joke.)

He’s since dropped $50K fighting the city in court, only to realize he's essentially funding his own beating. 

Imagine trying to make sense of explaining to your kids, "Sorry, the government needs a soil analysis on a treehouse you've been safely climbing your entire life."? 

Now, after years of back-and-forth, misdemeanor charges, and preposterous court costs, Polizzi threw in the towel, deciding not to burn another 30 grand on this clown show. 

Demolition started Saturday, and neighbors watched as city-sanctioned buzzkills took chainsaws to a quarter-century of community joy. Great work, LA. Take a bow.

You guys successfully solved crime, homelessness, and managed wildfire devastation by nuking a family’s Halloween display.

City Councilmember Nithya Raman gave the classic politician’s non-answer, claiming they "really wanted to preserve it," yet somehow it still got demolished. Funny how that works. What a shining example of governmental efficiency- destroying a local icon while real problems pile up faster than homeless encampments.

Congrats, Los Angeles city officials. You’ve successfully protected the public from joy, childhood memories, and community spirit. Maybe next you’ll shut down lemonade stands for tax evasion or raid kids’ bake sales for health code violations. Clowns.

Even Mayor Quimby is cringing at this.