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Childhood memories torn down | LoudounTimes.com

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Childhoodmemoriestorndown
Friday,Apr.6,2012byLauraPeters|112comments|Emailthisstory

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AlyssaKeister,10, sitsonaswing besidethetreehouse herfatherMichael builtforherattheir Ashburnhome.The treehousehastobe takendownbecause itdoesntcomply withtheir homeowners association guidelines.Times MirrorStaff Photo/BeverlyDenny

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AlyssaKeistercanlookoutbeneaththecanopyofherbackyardcherrytrees,almost completelyunnoticed.Shesnearlytwostorieshighinatreehousethatherfatherbuiltforher ayearago,whichwillnowneedtobetorndown. Herhouseintheskyviolatestheirneighborhoodshomeownersassociationsguidelines rulesthatherfatheroverlookedwhenhebuiltthestructure. AlyssaKeister,10,isautisticandstruggleswithsocialization.Herfather,MichaelKeister, thoughtthatbybuildingherthisoasis,itwouldbringmoreoftheneighborhoodchildrenout. Iwantedhertogetoutdoors.Iwantedhertohaveaplacetogo.Ifiguredoutthatsheliked beinghighoffthegroundinthetrees,MichealKeistersaid.Iwantedtohertogetcloserto natureandIfiguredwhatsmorenaturalthanbeinginatree.Ihadatreehousegrowingup.I wantedhertohavethesamethingthatIhad. Alotofchildrencanjustfindotherkidsandhangoutwithotherkids.Shehasmoretrouble withthat.So,Ihavetogivehersomething,hecontinued. TheKeisterfamilyhasbeenlivingintheBroadlandsdivisionofAshburnforaboutnineyears andhaventencounteredanyproblemswiththeHOA. Thenotice TheBroadlandsHOAsubcommitteecontactedtheKeisterfamilyafternoticingthetreehouse duringtheiryearlyChristmaslightchecks. MichaelKeisterstartedoutangrywithhisHOA.Hehadpledgedtofighttokeepthe treehouseforhisdaughter. WhenIrealizedthatourassociationwantedmetotakeitdownIkindofhadakneejerk reaction,Ohno,Icantletthishappen,hesaid.Istillwasntreallythinkingofthe associationandthataspect,IwasthinkingaboutmydaughterandalltheworkIputintothis thing.So,Istartedthepetitiontokindofgartersupport.IthoughtmaybeIdapproachthem inanappeal.
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Childhood memories torn down | LoudounTimes.com

Hemadeawebsitethathadapetitionforsupporttokeepthetreehouse.Healsomadeapoll withthelocalforumtheneighborhoodhas.Hegavethecommunitytwochoices:keepthe treehouseortearingitdownandbreak[his]daughtersheart. WhatIgotoutofthatitwasntjusttheassociation[or]theadministratorsthathavea problemhere.Alotofpeopledidntlikethefactthatifitwasapprovedthatitwouldbendtheir rulessomuch.Noweveryoneisgoingtobelike,welltheygottodoitsowhycantI?Michael Keisterexplained. LauraKeister,Alyssasmother,didntunderstandwhyherHOAwassostrictwiththemno oneintheneighborhoodhadevencomplainedinthepastyearaboutthetreehouse. Yes,thedeedwasdonewithoutthepermit,obviously.Butgiventhecircumstances,could theyhavecutussomeslack,Ithinkso,shesaid.Itsnothurtinganyone,itsnotdisturbing anyoneanditsbeautiful.Everyonethinksitsbeautiful. LauraKeistersaiditsbeenalearningprocessandsaiditcanserveasawarningtoothers whowishtomoveintoaneighborhoodwithanHOA. Ithinkitsagoodlessonforotherpeopletoknowwhattheyregettingintowhentheyre movingintoanarea,toreallythinkaboutwhattheyredoing,sheexplained.IfIhad knownthattheywouldbelikethis,unreasonable,overaplaystructure,IdontknowifI wouldhavesignedacontract.People,Idontthinkareawareofthis,outofallthepitfallsand potentialofbeingapartofanHOAlikethis. MichaelKeistersaidhedidntconsidertheliabilityofotherchildrenwhocouldpotentially gethurtiftheyfellfromthetreehouse.Thestructure,whereitsitsnow,isrightonhis neighborspropertylinewhichviolatesHOAguidelines. OneofthedrivingforcesbehindMichaelKeistersattempttokeepthehousewasthatitserves asanoutletforallthechildrenoftheneighborhood.Themainproblem,MichaelKeister said,washisneighborhooddoesnthaveanyplaceforchildrentoplayandmanyresidents feartheirchildrengettinghitbycars. ImhopingthatgiveneverythingthatshappenedthatIcanmakeacasethattheresaneed. Ithinktheresanunmetneedhereinthecommunityforchildren,heexplained.Theydont haveabackyard.Andifyoudohaveabackyardyoucantdoanythingwithit.Youcanputa birdhouseoutthere,thatsabouttheonlythingtheywantyoutodo.Infact,[theHOA] suggestedItakethewoodfromthisthingandbuildabirdhouse. Theguidelines AccordingtoDavidBaroody,presidentoftheBroadlandsAssociation,MichaelKeisterfailed tosubmitaninitialapplication. Theguidelinesfordesignstate,anyclearing,grading,constructionorimprovementsmust bereviewedandapprovedbytheSubcommitteepriortoimplementation.Suchconstructions orimprovementsincludeanyvisibleadditions,alterationsormodificationstotheexteriorof propertiesorhomeswithinBroadlands,whetherpermanentortemporary. Baroodysaidifanapplicationisdeniedbythesubcommittee,applicantsmayappealthe decisionthensubmitafurtherappealtotheHOABoard. TheBroadlandsBoardofDirectorswerecontacted,butdidnothaveanyfurthercommenton theKeistertreehousecaseanddidnotanswerrepeatedrequestsforcomment. Whatsnext MichaelKeisterdidputthetreehousethroughtheapprovalprocessaftertheHOAbroughtit up,alongwithaswingsetstructurehehasinhisbackyard.Thetreehousewasdenied,but theswingsetwasapproved.Hesaidthestatedreasonswhythetreehousewasnotapproved wassize,locationandvisualimpact. Heandhisfamilycametothedecisionthatiftheyweretomakeallthechangestothe treehouse,itwouldntcoincidewiththeiroriginalvision.MichaelKeistersaiditwouldbe besttojuststartfromscratch,ratherthanruiningtheprimaryvisionhehadforthe treehouse. But,whenitcametotellinghisdaughter,MichaelKeisterapproachedthedilemmacarefully. Atfirstshewasprettydevastated.Ithinkshescomingaroundtoacceptingit.Itried explainingittoherthatitwasmymistake,nothers...Ithoughtthatsheneededitmorethan mostchildren,hesaidbecauseofherautism.Sheneededitasarefuge,asanescape.Its hersandithastobespecial.Ipulledoutallthestops.IpromisedherImgoingtomakeitup toher,itsmymistake.
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Childhood memories torn down | LoudounTimes.com

MichaelKeisterhasuntiltheendofMaytoteardownthetreehouse.Hewillbesubmittinga proposaltotheHOAthathehopeswillfitwithintheguidelinessohecanmakeanother sanctuaryforhisdaughter.

TimesMirrorStaff Photo/BeverlyDenny

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Comments
Mon,Apr09at06:13PMbySillylittlepeople|Reportthiscomment

Selfentitlementvs.communityengagement.Weallfallintothispredicament atonetimeoranother.Ihavefoundthatcontritionandpersonalengagement cangoalongway. Peoplemovetothesecommunitiesandthinkthereisawallaroundyour propertyamilehigh.(Acastledoctrineofanothersort.) Itsaboutcommunicationandcivicdiscourseinsuchmatters. Stopbitchingaboutthemechanismyouboughtinto!!!Dontlikeit,gobuyan islandanddoubletaxyourself. IfalltheLCSDdecidednottopoliceyourcommunityyouwouldbelividnee, shootingeachother.
Mon,Apr09at05:51PMbyStill,AVeryNiceTreeHouse|Reportthiscomment

InherentintheroleofbeingaFatherarelessonsincivilengagement.Justas thechildanswerstoaparenttheadultanswersandparticipatesinthe communityandgovernment.Thisisfundamentalwithinanidealandjust society.Ittranscendspolitics.Theactionsofone,thatshouldknow, sometimesimpacttheinnocent.Thisisalessoninlifethatevenasadultswe areremindedofonoccasion. PerhapstheHOAwillbelenientunderthecircumstancesperhaps.

Mon,Apr09at05:23PMbyBroadlands|Reportthiscomment

Idontthinkithaseverbeeninquestionthatthefather/homeownermadea mistakebynotconsultingtheHOArules,heopenlyadmitsit.Itseemstome hedoesnthaveissueswiththerule,orwithitbeingenforced.Beingafather, andnotwantingtobreakhisdaughtersheart,seemstobeofutmostconcern tohim.Whenyouhaveidiotsonforums(broadlandhoa)andboardssaying: oh,hesbetterthanusandrulesdontapplytohim,itshardtobe sympathetictothestancethatrulesarerules.Hemadeamistake,triedto rectifyit,andhasbeenvilifiedbypeoplewhoiftheymistakenlywalkedoutof astorewithoutpayingforanitemwouldbeoutragedtobe

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