Michelle Robertson, SFGATE
The dinosaurs at the Flintstone House in Hillsborough won't be going extinct just yet.
The town of Hillsborough and the owner of the house, Florence Fang, have quietly settled a lawsuit that said changes Fang made to the "Flintstones"-themed property violated local code.
The Palo Alto Post first broke the news of the April 12 settlement on June 25. The case was dismissed in San Mateo Superior Court on April 27.
As part of the settlement, Fang will receive $125,000 from Hillsborough and, upon filing new permits for the changes to the property, the backyard additions will be approved, according to city records.
The property, a favorite of drivers zooming by on I-280, is on Berryessa Way and was purchased by Fang in 2017.
Controversy began surrounding the famous home in 2017, when the town noted that Fang, who previously owned the Independent and the San Francisco Examiner, had made changes to the backyard, including adding new metal dinosaurs, "Flintstones" characters, a staircase, parking strip, deck and a sign that reads "Yabba Dabba Doo."
At the time, the town called the home a "highly visible eyesore."
Hillsborough said that Fang should have asked the planning department for approval as the changes involved more than 10,000 feet of the property. The town then issued three "stop work" orders.
Hillsborough took Fang to court, alleging that she failed to comply with the "stop work" orders. The lawsuit also sought to force Fang to remove the new features around the multimillion-dollar property. Fang then countersued, saying she had been discriminated against because of her race and had been impeded during her attempts to secure a permit.
According to the Palo Alto Post, as part of the settlement, Fang agreed to dismiss these claims. She is receiving $125,000 from the town "solely to cover expenses incurred by Flintstone related to the lawsuit," and not as payment for the alleged discrimination, the Post reported.
You won't be hearing much from Fang on the matter. Per the Post, the settlement stipulates that neither the town nor Fang shall contact the media, and to respond with this statement when contacted: “The parties have reached an amicable resolution of the case to the satisfaction of all the parties, such that the improvements made to the Flintstone House will be permitted to remain.”