A Halloween Display Drew 5,000 People Last Year, Now Raleigh Wants a Permit That Could Cost $6,000
A former NC State football player’s home has become quite the hot topic in the Historic Oakwood neighborhood of Raleigh, North Carolina. Not because there’s a former star in their midst, but because of the elaborate Halloween display that Jesse Jones puts on each year.
But the beloved display has hit a snag this year, according to WTVD. That’s because local officials have told Jones that he will need to take a few extra precautions this year, which include obtaining a permit, after last year’s celebration brought an estimated 5,000 people to his street.
The homeowner says this could increase the financial costs of hosting the display, which he estimates could add up to thousands of dollars. Jones spoke up at the Raleigh City Council meeting during the public comment portion of the event recently, asking city leaders to reconsider.
Jones wasn’t the only one to say something, either. Neighbors had mixed feelings about the city’s request, and they also took turns sharing their feelings about how the display should be handled.
Homeowner Thinks the City is Asking for Too Much
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When it comes to the city’s requests, Jones thinks requiring a special event permit is taking things a step too far. “So now with this special event, I, I would predict the cost would be around $6,000, some dollars to close the street, and I have to get the barricades I have to put out in front of the roadblocks,” Jones explained. “So it’s almost like, why even do it?”
It didn’t seem to be much of a problem during previous years, when Jones said he would hire off-duty police officers and pay for street closures to keep people safe.
Jones spoke up at the Raleigh City Council meeting, telling city leaders that he wanted the event to be about fun, not bureaucracy. “People don’t trust our government because of this type of bureaucracy,” he said during the meeting. “This should be something that should have been fixed with the phone call.”
Neighbors Shared Their Thoughts as Well
When it came to how the community felt, they weren’t shy about sharing their thoughts either, according to the outlet. “I’m concerned about public safety at the end of [the] day,” Manish Lamba said during the meeting. “Like, I, you know, I’m, I’m, I’m, we all want the kids to be safe here. We don’t want anybody to get hit by a car. That’s the overall concern here.”
City officials, meanwhile, responded to CBS17 with a statement about the change in the approach to the event. “Based on the size of the event, how it is advertised, the number of blocks being closed, it has grown beyond what would be considered a neighborhood block party,” the statement said. “We are currently working with the resident on his special event permit application.”
For now, Jones says that his annual event hangs in the balance as Halloween rapidly approaches.
