SHERMAN OAKS—Around March 9, former ‘Simpsons’ producer, Rick Polizzi demolished a tree house that had become an icon for the Boney Island neighborhood in Sherman Oaks. For over two decades, families brought their children to see the cackling skeletons for Halloween. The City of Los Angeles insisted that Polizzi permit and ensure it as a single-family dwelling to keep it on the property.
The above snapshot is of Polizzi in his tree house from when he shared his story in an interview that was held in his tree house just before tearing it down, and posted on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
The beloved tree house was originally built for his two daughters as a gift, 24 years ago. The TV producer indicated that he intended to keep it up, forever.
Polizzi spent over $40,000 to keep the tree house for the enjoyment of all. The City of LA was relentless with permitting and zoning requests. So, alas, he paid to have it torn down.
Multiple reports indicate that the California Historical Society wanted the tree house to stay. The initial complaint(s) from the neighborhood to the city over the crowds the tree house drew to the neighborhood led to more demands from the City of LA than Polizzi was willing to make. The treehouse is now nothing more than a memory.
