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A backyard treehouse in a New England town has become a controversial topic among local residents.
CBS Boston reports the large structure Portsmouth, New Hampshire resident Jill Maloney had built for her 8-year-old son is receiving complaints by some neighbors.
The treehouse stands at eight feet high, 25 feet long and has a 168-square foot platform which, after receiving complaints from other residents, the Board of Adjustment ruled was more of a deck than a treehouse and needs to be set back from the fence separating Maloney backyard from the neighboring house.
“My family and I never set out to anger our neighbors or make enemies,” Maloney told CBS Boston.
Maloney's neighbor, Mark Moses, was among the local residents who spoke out against the large treehouse during a recent town meeting.
“Its size is imposing and dominates the field of view in our backyard and from our house,” Moses said via CBS Boston.
John Raczek, who constructed the house, argued that neighbors should have voiced their complaints prior to the structure's completion.
“If the neighbors would have said something in the beginning, we never would have built it there,” Raczek said via CBS Boston.
The Maloneys confirmed they are in discussions with a building inspector and will attempt to move the treehouse in adherence with the Board's decision.