Christmas haunted house raises concerns in Lombard

Despite backlash from some residents and disapproval from the village board, a Lombard community group may move forward with plans to open a Christmas haunted house.

The proposed name of the attraction - Frightmare before aXeMas - is a spin off from the title of the popular Tim Burton movie, "Nightmare Before Christmas," said organizer Jackie West of Lombard Commonwealth - formerly the Lombard Jaycees.

"I understand people's concerns that we are not in the spirit of Christmas, but we're not having a manger scene, we're not having Santa biting the head off a reindeer, nothing like that," she said.

Instead, the plan is to have holiday-themed rooms that would turn frightening when costumed actors appear.

For example, West said, one of the rooms may be elf- themed, but the actors who pop out will be dressed like scary elves reminiscent of scary clowns at Halloween.

"The kids would try to scare you," she said, adding that they may be covered in fake blood and dressed in torn clothing. "The rooms are just something to look at. The only time the room would scare you would be a noise."

Other themed rooms may be focused on Frosty the Snowman, "A Christmas Story" and the Griswold house from "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," West said.

"The rooms would not have any imagery that is bad because, again, it's children. Kids are the ones that come up for ideas for our rooms," she said. "We are by kids, for kids."

There also are plans to have times set aside for younger kids to visit. The lights would be turned on and families could walk through the rooms and take pictures with a traditional Santa Claus.

The village board unanimously denied Lombard Commonwealth's request for a temporary special event permit to operate the haunted house every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in December leading to Christmas.

The attraction would be based in a strip mall at 20 Yorktown Shopping Center, the same location the group used for its annual Halloween haunted house.

According to village code, temporary special event permits are only valid for three days; an extension of the permit requires board approval.

Now the group is considering offering the Christmas haunted house on just the first three Saturdays in December.

Village Manager Scott Niehaus said the organization still would be required to have a special event permit and have inspections done on the building, but because the permit would be for three days or less it would not need to be approved by the village board.

Trustee Bill Ware voted against extending the special permit because of concerns about increased traffic in the already "extremely busy" Yorktown area during the holidays.

Trustee Mike Fugiel said he was uncomfortable approving the request because village staff didn't have any financial or summary reports from the Taste of Lombard or first phase of the October haunted house, which the group also operates. The village covered the cost of fireworks and shuttle transportation at the Taste, but no expenses for the haunted house.

"It's a situation where, if it's a group that we give a grant to, then we have a right to go ahead and ask for financials or get further involved and want to see dollars and cents," Niehaus said.

Village President Keith Giagnorio didn't vote on the matter, but said he concurs with concerns raised by the board.

He added, however, that if the Lombard Commonwealth goes ahead with the haunted house for three days during the month "they have every right to do that."

On Friday, Trustee Reid Foltyniewicz said while the haunted house isn't necessarily something he would take his kids to, he is open to new ideas.

"I don't get it, but if it's something that a lot of people like and it's the new fad, who am I to say no to it?" he said.

But he said Jackie West wasn't prepared to answer questions the board had for her earlier this month. In particular, he felt the description of what would be inside the haunted house was too vague.

West said she was disappointed with the village board's rejection of the project because it would give kids something to do in December.

"We knew that there would be some people, of course, that would say our haunted house went against the reason for the season," she said. "I just look at that as, I understand, if this is not for them then they don't need to attend. You don't go to something you don't like, but don't take it away from the kids."