‘Flintstone House’ lawsuit settled dinosaur statues can stay

Pursuing a prolonged court battle, the Northern California owner of the “Flintstone House” has quietly settled her lawsuit from the town of Hillsborough.

Florence Fang, the home’s owner, will acquire $125,000 from the city to protect lawful charges from her lawsuit, according to the settlement settlement. Fang ought to also use for creating permits for the exterior of her house, which will be approved by the town after submitted, according to town records.

The suit was settled in April, but the information was not released simply because of a gag purchase.

“The functions have achieved an amicable resolution of the scenario to the pleasure of all the functions, these that the enhancements created to the Flintstone Residence will be permitted to stay,” the settlement states, in accordance to the Palo Alto Daily Post.

Fang’s lawsuit began in March 2019, following the town of Hillsborough deemed the home’s lawn decorations as a “highly noticeable eyesore” adhering to grievances from neighbors and residents. Town officials alleged that the caveman-themed menagerie of 15-foot dinosaur statues and cartoon sculptures violated constructing codes and have been created without correct permits.

Fang, previous publisher of the San Francisco Examiner, was sent multiple notices. Following she unsuccessful to comply with end-function orders, as nicely as an purchase to clear away the selection of metallic dinosaurs and animals from her yard, the town took her to court docket in San Mateo County.

The town’s lawsuit requested the decide to deem the assets a community nuisance and purchase the statues to be taken down.

Fang fought back with her possess accommodate as a substitute, alleging that she tried to cooperate with town officers but that simply because of her race, they actively denied her ideal to build on her property and enforced setting up codes that did not implement to her residence. Fang is Chinese American.

Hillsborough Assistant Town Atty. Mark Hudan, who originally represented the city in the lawsuit just before being changed by lawyer Scott Ditgurth, earlier told The Periods that Fang’s claims have been “completely baseless.”

“This cross criticism is intended to divert focus from the main point that Mrs. Fang set up a quite massive task with out having permits, and blaming our enforcement workers is not likely to adjust what she did,” Hudan said.

Nestled in an upmarket neighborhood south of San Francisco, the orange and purple, boulder-like abode seen from Interstate 280 has develop into a magnet for vacationers and travelers, who typically halt to acquire pics.

The household, intended in 1976 by Bay Region architect William Nicholson, sat vacant for over a year before Fang obtained it for $2.8 million in 2017.