City of Toronto officials appear to have changed their tune regarding a boat-shaped treehouse built in the backyard of a Bloor West Village home.
John Alpeza, the treehouse's builder, told CP24 there will no longer be a court order issued to tear the building down. Instead, Alpeza says he will be allowed to apply for a height variance to bring his tree boat house into compliance with city regulations.
He said he will have to submit drawings of the structure and a raft of other paperwork, but there is no deadline on when everything needs to be submitted. The city’s height limit for backyard structures is 14 feet but Alpeza says the tree boat house stretches to around 15 feet.
He and his family celebrated the news yesterday by having a big dinner. He said he’s “fairly confident” the city will approve the height variance.
Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti showed up at Alpeza’s home last night and offered help as to how to apply for a height variance.
Last Friday, the family received a voicemail from a city official ordering them to take down the structure. He had originally built the tree house for his two sons as a means of getting them off the computer and video games and playing outside.
When the house was first built three years ago, Alpeza said he didn’t receive any complaints from his neighbours. That changed when he added upgrades such as a hammock, a faux wooden “hull,” and a ship’s wheel.
Alpeza told CP24 he’s willing to work with his neighbours on the structure’s appearance.
“I’m ready to make it as pretty as possible for neighbours. I’ll work with the neighbours, it’s the way it should be.”
But he says he has a “problem with tearing it down.”
The application for a height variance will eventually go before a Committee of Adjustment hearing, where all of Alpeza’s neighbours will be given the opportunity to speak about tree boat house.
Alpeza says he has not yet been told when the Committee of Adjustment hearing will occur.
