Town orders man to take down tree house

Naugatuck, Conn. (WTNH) -- A Naugatuck man is asking for help after the town ordered that he take down something in his yard that he built for his son: a good old-fashioned tree fort.

Mike Bronko, former Naugatuck Mayor, built the fort for his son Zachery on their land behind their house. About a month after it went up the town told him to take it down.

"It's very upsetting," Bronko said. "We didn't tell Zachery until we had an official meeting with the Zoning Commission a few weeks back."

News 8 went to Town Hall looking for some answers, and what we found out was that Naugatuck doesn't allow any tree house period. And it has been that way for quite some time.

As a matter of fact, the town had four tree houses taken down over the past couple of years because zoning doesn't allow them, but at the next meeting it might be discussed.

"Today, we filed an appeal to the Zoning Board of Appeals to them to see how it goes from there," said Bronko.

The town says the reason it doesn't allow tree houses is because at first they seem like a good idea, but they can rot away over time and become and eyesore, and even dangerous. However, Bronco says zoning does not belong in the back yard where the kids play.

"To not allow a tree fort or playscape or a gazebo or anything you put in your back yard for similar use that goes in residential, it should be allowed, it shouldn't really be regulated," Bronko said.