Naperville girl pleads for Halloween house's decorations

An 11-year-old Naperville girl has no answer so far to her plea for a homeowners association to allow a beloved Halloween display to take up more than 50 percent of one homeowner's yard.

The Ashbury homeowners association allowed Sara Marston to speak at its meeting Monday night, but she said she left with no response from the group except to thank her for her perspective.

At issue is Nick Thomas' Halloween decorations, which in past years have taken up nearly every square inch of his yard on a cul-de-sac on Conan Doyle Drive in the south Naperville subdivision.

"It's kind of a big part of my life," Sara said about Thomas' display. "Every Halloween just before bed we would pile into the car and go look at it."

The Ashbury homeowners association in September prohibited owners from placing holiday decorations on more than 50 percent of their yards and limited display times to no more than 30 days before or after any holiday.

Sara, whose family lives in the nearby Springbrook Crossing subdivision, told homeowners association leaders that an online petition she created in favor of changing the rule to allow Thomas' all-out display gathered 8,600 signatures.

After the rule was enacted, Thomas decided not to post any of the decorations that turn his yard into a spooky cemetery complete with lights and music. "Even if I decorate 50 percent, those people would still come," he said.

The spectacle would draw as many as 8,000 visitors in the Halloween season. Thomas said he would hand out candy to visitors and pass along any donations he was given to charity.

"It's got all these cool decorations that you can look at and it's all synchronized to music," Sara said. "It's really cool to look at. It's fun."

Thomas said the Naper Settlement historical museum and a Bolingbrook woman each offered to host his Halloween decor in their yards, but he turned them both down. If the homeowners association rule isn't lifted before next year, Thomas said he'll consider displaying his Halloween cheer at the Settlement's All Hallow's Eve event, which took place last weekend.

But Thomas is hoping the issue can be resolved before the next big holiday that draws decorations to his lot.

"I'm hopeful that maybe something will be worked out for Christmas," Thomas said.

As Sara waits for any response to her petition from the homeowners association, Thomas, who works as fine arts and humanities department chair for Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, said he's rooting for her petition drive to succeed.

"It's going to take an 11-year-old to make people realize how important this is," Thomas said. "This is an important part of community, which is what Naperville is all about."

The homeowners association did not allow reporters into its meeting Monday night, but said a statement about the decorations rule might be available Tuesday.