A backyard playhouse designed to help a Kentucky toddler with cerebral palsy may have to go after a neighborhood association raised objections and threatened the family with fines.
At the suggestion of his therapist, three-year-old Cooper Veloudis’ parents plunked down $5,000 earlier this year to have a special therapeutic playhouse built in their backyard. The miniature home has helped the boy become more active and learn to do basics like climb stairs, his parents say.
But officials with the Veloudis’ neighborhood association were none too pleased with the playhouse. They told the family that the structure is in violation of the organization’s rules and must go. For each day that it remained, the association said it would impose a $50 fine.
When the family’s story made local news in Lexington, Ky., however, the homeowners’ association agreed to meet with Cooper Veloudis’ parents. For now, the playhouse will be allowed to stay without fines until at least after the holidays while the situation is considered further, reports WLEX, the Lexington, Ky. NBC affiliate. To read more click here and here.
Unbelievable. I am not a lawyer but thinking logically, if the neighborhood association provides playground facilities for “mainstream” kids shouldn’t it also supply appropriate facilities to disabled children? In this case the parents of the Cooper gave the neighborhood association an out by providing their own facility. The neighborhood association should be grateful that they didn’t have to spend the money.
The family made an effort to color coordinate the playhouse with their own house, but I think the bigger problem is the homespun architecture is just too quaint for the neighborhood. Maybe some exterior changes would make it blend in sufficiently, or shield it from neighbors’ view with some tall shrubbery or creative surrounding fencing. I bet the homeowners association would have allowed a gazebo of equal size, as long as the color, styling, and materials were deemed compatible.
JustMe – please don’t take offense….but seriously?! Did you happen to watch the video? How is this little play house any harder to look at than trampolines or other play structures? Plus I don’t think a “gazebo” is what this child needs…I think this little boy’s special needs should outweigh what somebody might consider “just too quaint.” It sounds like the family showed due diligence by matching paint colors, etc. It’s not like they put up some run-down shack in the back yard….I think this is going to be an issue facing more and more neighborhood associations….
I can’t believe this homeowner’s association. That child’s playhouse is not impacting anyone’s home value negatively, but the behavior of that home owner’s association would make me never buy a house in that neighborhood. Shame on them!