When Is A Treehouse No Longer Just A Treehouse?

But does it have a mini fridge? Not the house mentioned in the story, but pretty cool. (Spencer 77)

But does it have a mini fridge? Not the house mentioned in the story, but pretty cool. (Spencer 77)

Did the treehouse of your childhood dreams include WiFi, cable TV, a mini fridge, fireplace, deck and air conditioning? Maybe not, but does having the space to fit all those amenities in a homemade structure residing in a tree mean it’s still a treehouse, or is it more like an elevated guest house? One town is seeking to define what a treehouse is, to keep people from going overboard with their aerial retreats.

Town officials in Schaumburg, IL didn’t require one resident to get a permit before building his 112-square-foot sky castle with all those features and more seven years ago, reports CBS Local Chicago, but they’re now looking to outline the first-ever rules for future structures.

The village’s planning and development committee is meeting to work out proposed changes to the zoning code, including: Property owners are limited to one treehouse per lot, and any houses must be built in a home’s backyard; They can be no more than 25 feet high and 100 square feet, and be at least 10 feet from the property line; and prospective builders will have to get a $15 building permit before breaking ground… er, breaking tree?

Any larger than that, and it would seem that a treehouse would cease being a treehouse and just be a house, which means it’d fall under different zoning codes.

Far from holding secret club meetings, the treehouse owner currently rents out his treehouse on Airbnb for $195 a night or $1,200 a week. Though it’s more than the size proposed for future treehouses, he’ll get grandfathered in if the measure takes effect.

“I don’t think they’re anti-treehouse, and I don’t think they’re going to stop people from building treehouses, they just want to make sure they’re not too big,” he said of the village’s attempt at regulation.

Luxury Treehouse Prompts Schaumburg Officials To Seek Regulations [CBS Local Chicago]

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