Hillsborough's Flintstone House on display

Adorned with pillows in the likeness of watermelon slices, stuffed dinosaurs of all sizes, models of the planets and phrases reading “together” and “dance like no one is watching,” the home’s interior mirrors the whimsy of the eclectic display Florence Fang has arranged in the backyard, which is complete with a bigfoot statue and a cluster of much-larger-than-life mushrooms.

And the if home’s colorful accents make those who pass through it crack a smile — that’s the point, said Fang’s attorney Angela Alioto on a tour of the home Monday. Though Fang lives in another home in Hillsborough, she often spends time in the house at 45 Berryessa Way to soak in the happiness she has sought to feel there, said Alioto.

“She’s here all the time, this is her happy place,” said Alioto. “She’s had an incredible life and I think it’s wonderful that at 84 years old, she has found something that makes her so happy.”

It’s a happiness Fang has been fighting for in the weeks since the town of Hillsborough filed a lawsuit March 13 alleging she must remove the landscaping improvements which officials say were installed without planning approvals or building permits. Among the improvements in question are several large dinosaur statues and other figurines, a sign with the words “Yabba Dabba Doo,” a retaining wall, deck, parking strip and steps — all of which were installed beginning in 2017 without required planning review and building permits, according to the suit.

On Fang’s behalf, Alioto previously raised concerns that town officials are impinging on the homeowner’s rights to due process and her own personal property. These claims Assistant City Attorney Mark Hudak has refuted, noting Fang has offered no justification for not getting permits despite multiple stop-work orders and an October town panel hearing and has failed to follow ordinances and policies that apply to everyone. Alioto said she and Fang plan to file a cross-complaint April 11.

Alioto said Fang, formerly the owner of the San Francisco Independent and the San Francisco Examiner after it was sold by Hearst, came to the U.S. from China in 1960 with very little to her name and was the first woman to apply for a set of loans for small business owners under a program former President Ronald Reagan started. Fang was invited to the White House during Reagan’s tenure as a nationwide example of how a small business loan can be used, said Alioto.

She said Fang opens the home up for charitable events and has long supported and continues to remain active in issues ranging from the preservation of Asian art to fostering relations between China and the United States. Adorned with bright green and yellow cactus statues, a large metal rainbow and deep orange and purple benches to match its exterior, the home reflects Fang’s love for the Flintstones sitcom and other items that bring her joy.

“If you look around at the individual objects, it’s gotta put a smile on your face,” she said. “[Fang] said the other day, ‘whenever I see a dinosaur, I buy it.’”

Alioto voiced support for Fang’s creating a “happy place” for herself, having suffered the loss of a son and cared for her late husband for many years before his death. She said the overwhelming support Fang has received from across the globe since her home made headlines in recent weeks has been incredible. Though the animated sitcom featuring a family during the Stone Age has widespread appeal amongst many who grew up with it in the 1960s, Alioto noted Fang’s passion for the Flintstones is even more notable since she truly embraced the show when she came to the United States.

“What I think is so wonderful is that it’s not part of Florence’s growing up,” she said. “She met the Flintstones when she came here and I just think that’s so fabulous that she fell in love with the Flintstones.”

anna@smdailyjournal.com

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