A family’s stunning Christmas lights display has become a source of controversy, as neighbors have complained that the over-the-top decorations have caused a public ‘nuisance.’
The Halliwell family of Fairfield, Connecticut, has been elaborately decorating their home for the past 18 years, and thousands of people travel to their neighborhood to catch a glimpse of ‘Wonderland on Roseville’ during the holiday season.
The family uses the dazzling display of over 350,000 Christmas lights to raise money for Shriners Hospital for Children; however, this year’s massive crowds have led neighbors to submit a petition asking local leaders and police to minimize the the visitors’ impact on the community.
Stunning: The Halliwell family of Fairfield, Connecticut, has been elaborately decorating their home for the past 18 years
Over-the-top: The family uses the dazzling display of over 350,000 Christmas lights to raise money for Shriners Hospital for Children
Tradition: Mary Halliwell (pictured) said the nearly 20-year tradition is ‘everything’ to her family
According to ABC News, the petition has been signed by 45 people and calls on law enforcement to do something about the ‘significant public safety and nuisance concerns caused by the excessive volume of traffic the event creates in our neighborhood.’
Over 30,000 people visit the neighborhood over the holiday season, and the petition states the constant noise, strangers walking through people’s lawns, and the increase in litter has become a ‘serious nuisance’ to residents.
The petition also points out that the crowds could prevent rescue vehicles from being able to reach some homes in the event of an emergency.
Mary Halliwell told ABC News that the nearly 20-year tradition means the world to her family.
Hard to miss: Over 30,000 people travel to their neighborhood to catch a glimpse of ‘Wonderland on Roseville’ during the holiday season
Wow! The incredible lights display covers the Halliwell’s entire home, as well as their front and back yards
Added touches: There are also Christmas trees, reindeer, angels, and other important holiday figures surrounding the home
‘For my husband and my daughter, it’s everything,’ Halliwell said. ‘My daughter was very sick … she still was out here fixing, planning, you know, it didn’t matter,’ she said.
Although there were a few times when Mary vowed that her family wasn’t going to put up the lights display the following year, she said they would tell her: ‘Well, that’s what you think.’
The incredible lights display covers the Halliwell’s entire home, as well as their front and back yards.
In addition to the lights, which cover nearly every inch of the property, there are Christmas trees, reindeer, angels, and other important holiday figures surrounding the home.
Fed up: This year, neighbors drafted a petition signed by 45 people calling for local leaders and law enforcement to address ‘public safety and nuisance concerns’
Annoyed: The petition states the constant noise, strangers walking through people’s lawns, and the increase in litter has become a ‘serious nuisance’ to residents
Explanation: Local resident Nadine Losquadro submitted the petition, but she insisted it was not meant to be a complaint or a request that Wonderland on Roseville be shut down
Agreement: Following the petition, the Halliwell family have agreed to shut off the lights by a certain time each night
‘Tis the season: ‘This makes so many people happy, we don’t want to shut it down,’ Mary said
Local resident Nadine Losquadro submitted the petition, and she explained that it was only drafted to ‘make the area safe for the residents and visitors.’
Losquadro insisted that the petition was not meant to be a complaint or a request that Wonderland on Roseville be shut down.
Both sides have been able to come to an agreement, and while the Halliwell family conceded to shut off the lights by a certain time each night, the police are working to manage traffic in the neighborhood.
Although Mary said the petition ‘disappointed’ her family at first, they are happy that they have been able to come to an agreement with their neighbors.
‘What are neighbors for? You work together,’ she said. ‘This makes so many people happy, we don’t want to shut it down.’