Shared By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities Blog
Halloween has become a major holiday in the US, second to Christmas in terms of decorating the house and the yard. Leave it to another HOA to be the killjoy and snuff out all the fun.
Well, technically, the HOA is only asking residents to limit decorations to 50% of the yard. In other words, no overachievers allowed. Somehow I don’t think the famous Naperville Halloween House would have the same impact with a half-hearted decorating effort. I guess that’s why the owner, Nick Thomas, has decided to pass on the display this year.
I can somewhat understand the Association’s limitation on the timing – 30 days before and 30 days after the holiday – but only in the case of a display that creates a traffic control problem. Otherwise, If I want to keep some pumpkins on my front porch for 40 days after Halloween, what’s it to you, Ashbury HOA?
And I would really like to know how the HOA plans to measure 50% of a yard. Bring on the surveyors and measuring tapes! What if I hang decorations from a tree? Does the rule consider air space above the yard in its 50% allocation of decor space?
After you read the article, you might want to read some of the reader comments, too.
Purely for entertainment.
Famous Naperville Halloween house goes dark
Jane Donahue, Naperville Sun
Folks driving to Nick Thomas’ house on Conan Doyle Road in Naperville this Halloween season expecting to be treated to the famously decorated house will go away feeling tricked.
After neighbors complained to the Ashbury Homeowners Association board about the traffic and noise created by the celebrated house decorations, the group installed rules that thwarted Thomas’ plans.
“I am disappointed,” said Thomas, who has lived in the 1100 block of Conan Doyle Road in south Naperville for 21 years and has decorated his house for the past 18 years. “For a lot of people, the house has become a tradition and it is something people look forward to.”
Thomas’ display has grown over the years, and now includes over 2,000 pieces with lights and synchronized music. Visitors to the cul-de-sac have also grown — he estimates about 8,000 people visited last year alone — which is why neighbors raised concerns about traffic and safety with the Ashbury Homeowners Association board.
The board notified neighbors via its October newsletter that a “Holiday Decorations Rule” was voted on and passed at its Sept. 21 board meeting. The rule limits a person’s decorations to 50 percent of the yard, excluding lights, and restricts the display to 30 days before and after the holiday.
For Thomas, that means his four storage units filled with decorations will remain unopened this year…
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