HILLSBOROUGH — It may take more than a lawsuit to render these giant dinosaurs extinct.
After the city of Hillsborough sued the owner of the iconic Flintstone House last week, hoping to force a herd of 15-foot-tall dinosaurs and other colorful decorations off its grounds, the owner is fighting back.
Florence Fang, who bought the house along Interstate 280 in 2017 and quickly installed the dinosaurs, a Fred Flintstone statue and a large “Yabba Dabba Doo” sign, intends to file her own suit against the city for her right to decorate her garden the way she pleases.
“Let’s keep Fred and the Dino alive and work together to keep on smiling. I will fight the best I can. Stay tuned!” she wrote in a recent statement.
Calling it a “highly visible eyesore” and “out of keeping with community standards,” Hillsborough officials have asked a judge to declare the famous home a “public nuisance.” They say Fang’s additions to the home, which include a retaining wall, steps and a deck in addition to the whimsical decorations, did not receive the proper permits. As a result, the work created safety hazards, the city says.
Fang’s attorney, Angela Alioto, said Fang has “an absolute right to have the dinosaurs.” Alioto expects to file a response to the city’s lawsuit and a cross complaint in the coming weeks.
“This is her private garden,” Alioto said. “And the government is coming in and telling her what she can or cannot have in her garden.”
But the city insists the controversy is not about the tackiness of the dinosaurs and other decorations — it’s about following the rules. Fang did not get the proper permits for the work she did to her home, and therefore the dinosaurs and everything else must go, said Hillsborough Assistant City Attorney Mark Hudak.
“There’s a process for design review and permitting that every resident has to follow, and there’s just no way to make an exception for Mrs. Fang just because she has a vision for this property,” Hudak said. “She’s got to go through the process like everybody else.”
After news of the lawsuit was first reported by the San Mateo Daily Journal, fans of the Flintstone House rushed to its defense. Alioto said her client has received an overwhelming torrent of messages in support of her decorations. Fang acknowledged the outpouring in her statement:
“From all your supportive comments, it made me realize that I am not the only one fighting for the legendary Flintstones,” she wrote. “It is truly an American memory that makes people smile and feel good about themselves.”
Alioto said her client intended to follow the rules. She did apply for a permit but then began work while the permit application was still pending, Alioto said. Fang was shocked when she received notice of the city’s intent to sue, the lawyer said.
Alioto argues the city is unfairly targeting Fang because they don’t like the way the dinosaurs look.
But Hudak says Fang applied for just one permit before starting work, and that was to install an 18-inch wall in the front of her property. Now Fang has about three weeks to respond to the city’s lawsuit. Once she does, the city intends to ask the judge to issue an injunction forcing her to remove the dinosaurs and other decorations.
“If she had installed Rodin statues, she’d have had to go through the same process,” Hudak said.
