Bright, curvy, covered in plastic dinosaurs — the so-called “Flintstone” house, in the northern California town of Hillsborough, is a beautiful, demented blob of architecture that looks unnervingly like a human spleen, and I absolutely love it. Unfortunately, this gorgeous concrete blob and its lizard-filled environs are under threat from fun-averse neighbors who have sued the home’s owner, businesswoman Florence Fang, for her recent additions, which they call an “eyesore” (??) and “out of keeping with community standards”, the Guardian reports.
The blobby house was built in the mid-1970s. It was created by spraying concrete over a wire mesh and steel frame. The home was already a popular landmark for passing drivers by the time Fang purchased it in 2017, but Fang took its décor to the next level, adding enormous dinosaur sculptures in the backyard, and a huge sign out front that says “Yabba-dabba-doo.”
These additions, the town of Hillsborough claims in a lawsuit filed recently against Fang in the San Mateo County Superior Court, were made without proper permits. This is not the first complaint Fang has faced. Last year, she was forced to pay a $200 fine after the town’s Administrative Hearing panel determined that her improvements were “designed to be very intrusive, resulting in the owner’s ‘vision’ for her property being imposed on many other properties and views, without regard to the desires of other residents.” Although she paid the fine, Fang did not remove the dinosaurs, or her sign.
“I think the dinosaurs are beautiful,” Fang’s grandson said in a statement seen by the Associated Press. “They make everyone smile and should stay.”
It is unclear what penalties Fang could face with this new suit, but in my professional opinion, as someone who enjoys Fun and has seen every Jurassic Park movie, the people of Hillborough should all lighten up and leave the Flintstone house alone. Thank you.
