A tree house that 13-year-old David Ratze helped build is about 18 feet off the ground.
Written by
The Associated Press
FARMINGTON, Mich. (AP) -- A tree house on a suburban Detroit family's property has caught the city's attention for not being built in line with local rules.
The Oakland Press of Pontiac reports 13-year-old David Ratze built the tree house last year with his father and others in Farmington. The Board of Zoning Appeals on Wednesday turned down a variance request.
David says he's disappointed but they might lower or rebuild the structure.
The tree house was completed in October. Farmington Code Enforcement Officer John Koncsol noticed it in November and city officials notified the family that it was built too high. The tree house has a 10-foot-by-16-foot floor and sits about 18 feet off the ground.
Koncsol says it's considered an accessory structure, which is limited to a height of 15 feet.