Massive treehouse in Sherman Oaks may face demise

A Sherman Oaks treehouse that brought joy to thousands of people every Halloween for the greater part of two decades could be torn down soon.

The man who built it – and turned it into the popular attraction called “Boney Island” in his front yard – said, “If it’s a complete rebuild, with structural engineering involved, I’m gonna be in trouble.”

This isn't the first time Rick Polizzi has faced adversity, however -- and it likely won't be the last. He built the three-level treehouse back in 2000 as the centerpiece of a homegrown haunted house attraction for his young daughters at the time. As a long-time animation producer for "The Simpsons" (among other shows), he went all out.

The resulting Boney Island attraction featured dazzling lighting and special effects, including life-sized dancing skeleton marionettes and spooky music. A few neighbors, though, complained to the City of Los Angeles about the crowds that turned out to see it in person.

Some complaints even suggested that Polizzi had turned the event into a money-making attraction, which is illegal. He strongly denies this.

“The city came out and said, ‘No, you’re not running a business – but do you have a permit for that?” Polizzi said.

That’s when his troubles began.

Over the next few years, he went back and forth with city inspectors – spending, he says, more than $40,000 of his own money to modify the house, and even entertaining a suggestion that he hire police to provide security.

“About $10,000 a night out of pocket,” he said, “I was, like, ‘Obviously we can’t do that.’”

In 2017, Polizzi finally shut down Boney Island in the neighborhood, relocating all the special effects and puppets to Griffith Park and then to the LA Museum of Natural History in Exposition Park, where it remains as an annual fundraiser for the museum.

But back at his front yard?

“The treehouse stayed,” he said. “I didn’t think there was any reason to take it down.”

Polizzi said he received a variance from one city department followed by another department telling him, “You’re going to need a lot more drawings; you’re going to need this and this…”

“They gave me a list," he said.

Polizzi estimates it will cost him another $20,000 to $40,000 to fix everything, and he’s simply unable to keep spending good money after bad. To top it all off, he’s now received a court summons in late May for “non-compliance.”

“The best thing I would hope (for) is that the City Attorney could drop the case. It’s over a tree house,” he said.

Friends and neighbors have posted a petition drive called “Save the Sherman Oaks Boney Island Treehouse.” Polizzi is deeply grateful for the support but isn’t sure how the signatures can slow down the process.

NBC4 reached out to the City Attorney’s office and the Department of Building and Safety for comment. So far, neither has responded.