Tree house in Fairfax, VA comes off the chopping block

We have a happy ending to one of our previous Play Hater stories.

Back in October, we reported about a Fairfax, VA zoning board that ordered Iraq War veteran Mark Grapin to take down the tree house he built in his backyard for his two sons. The zoning board issued the order because Grapin's home is on the corner of his street, technically making his backyard a front yard according to zoning regulations.

The story started making local and national headlines and a Change.org petition was quickly launched, asking the Farifax County Board of Zoning Appeals to reverse the order to destroy the tree house. On November 30th, The Washington Post reported that the board voted 5-0 in Grapin’s favor, allowing the tree house to stay up, provided they plant some more trees around the house.

We applaud the board’s decision and are thankful that Grapin’s boys will have a place to spend hours of imaginative outdoor play. 

Photo credit: Mark Grapin, The Washington Post.