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Bay Curious

Yabba Dabba Don’t? A Trip Inside the (Now) Controversial Flintstone House

Bay Curious

KQED

History, Society & Culture, Places & Travel

4.9999 Ratings

🗓️ 21 March 2019

⏱️ 9 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

If you’ve ever driven northbound on Interstate 280 through Hillsborough, you’ve surely seen The Flintstone House from the highway. A cluster of orange and purple tubular domes, the home is reminiscent of the 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoon. The house has always had it’s fans and detractors, but recent renovations have sparked controversy, and prompted the city of Hillsborough to sue the homeowner and declare the home a “public nuisance.” The renovations include the addition of several large sculptures in the back yard: three 15-foot dinosaurs, a giraffe and a mammoth. There’s also the more benign infrastructure improvements, like a retaining wall, steps and a parking strip. In this episode of Bay Curious, we revisit our 2017 story that includes a tour of the home (web version: What’s That Thing Off 280? The Flintstone House) and we get an update on the controversy. Reported by Rachael Myrow. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Katie McMurran, Paul Lancour and Ryan Levi. Additional support from Julie Caine, Suzie Racho, Ethan Lindsey and David Weir. Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Ask us a question or sign up for our newsletter at BayCurious.org. Follow Olivia Allen-Price on Twitter @oallenprice.

Transcript

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0:00.0

From K-QED. This is Bay Curious. I'm Olivia Allen Price.

0:07.0

The Flintstone House might be one of the most well recognized homes in the Bay Area.

0:13.6

If you've ever driven northbound on 280,

0:16.0

near the peninsula city of Hillsborough,

0:18.0

you've probably seen it.

0:19.7

It's just off the side of the road,

0:21.4

this group of tubular concrete domes painted bright orange and purple.

0:27.0

It's always been an eclectic house, but recent editions have put the house in the news.

0:33.2

The owner added large dinosaur sculptures

0:35.9

to the backyard, pushing some neighbors

0:38.1

and the city of Hillsborough a little too far.

0:41.6

When the house was up for sale a few years ago, Bay Curies reporter

0:44.5

Rachel Myro got a peek inside. This week we're revisiting her story which first

0:49.4

aired in 2017 and at the end we'll talk more about what's happening now with the Flintstone House. Support for Bay Curious is brought to you by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, still family owned, operated, and argued over.

1:09.0

Explore their brews wherever fine beverages are sold, and taste how trailblazing runs in the family.

1:15.8

Visit Sierra Nevada.com to find your new favorite beer today.

1:20.3

In two miles,

1:24.0

miles, take exit 36 toward Black Mountain Road and Hay Road.

1:28.0

I have been wondering about this thing for years,

1:32.0

but it took this assignment to get me to go see this

1:34.9

unofficial local landmark. Turn right onto Barry S. Away, then the destination is on

1:40.4

your left. Siri leads me through a series of Hillsborough streets that

...

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