It'll be nothing but smooth sailing ahead for a treehouse pirate ship in Toronto, after the man who built it for his sons successfully torpedoed an attempt to have it torn down.
The Ontario Municipal Board has ruled that John Alpeza does not need to tear down the $30,000 backyard treehouse boat he built for his boys, in a decision sure to irk the neighbours who initially complained about it. However, he must make a few adjustments to the structure, including building a bigger fence, in order for it to stay in place.
Alpeza, who is a contractor by trade, built the backyard battleship four years ago, so his sons could spend their youth playing make-believe outside, instead of sitting indoors glued to a TV set.
But neighbours complained that the ship violated their privacy because it rose above their fences. City officials addressed their complaints last April, with an order to tear down the structure because it was built without a permit. The York Committee of Adjustment ruled against Alpeza when he took the case to them last summer, but the OMB overturned the ruling on Monday.
The impressive play structure includes four entrances, retractable windows, swing ropes, a hammock and an eating area, along with all the other ship-related accommodations one might expect – including a captain's wheel.
"The project has been built out of love for my kids," Alpeza told CTV Toronto last April. "My main goal is to get them away from the TVs and internet and video games, and for them to socialize with their friends."
With files from CTV Toronto
