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Will 'Grinch' hinder homeowner's holiday lights show?

It's not even Halloween yet, but some say the Grinch could be coming to Campton Hills.

Brian Larsen, whose award-winning Christmas lights show has become a suburban destination, hopes to work with village and public safety officials to craft a plan that will keep traffic backups around Larsen's Light Show to a minimum while ensuring visitors have enough time to view and appreciate the 20-minute, computer-choreographed show featuring nearly 1 million lights.

Campton Hills trustees this week tabled a plan to ban visitors from stopping, slowing or pulling onto the shoulder on Anderson and Beith roads near Larsen's home, which has an Elburn mailing address but was annexed into Campton Hills several years ago.

Larsen opposes that plan, which would cost the village $1,150 to install signs and would allow police to issue drivers $75 tickets under a local ordinance.

The village isn't trying to shut down Larsen's display; he's worried people trying see it will be forced to drive by in less than a minute or get a ticket.

"That's the biggest Grinch Scrooge move. That's just wrong," Larsen said of possibly issuing tickets. "It's not about the village. It's not about me. It's about the holiday season and people."

Larsen said he shortened his show from previous years at the village's request and has offered to pay for people or off-duty officers to direct traffic on weekends between Thanksgiving, when the lights turn on, through the end of December.

Larsen has a small parking lot on his property where visitors can watch the lights in their vehicles and tune their radios to his soundtrack.

Campton Hills Village President Harry Blecker said village and public safety officials plan to meet with Larsen in the next 10 days to hopefully work out a solution. Blecker said the long backups along Anderson and Beith roads - where there are no shoulders - could block a firetruck, ambulance or police car in an emergency.

"We'd all like to avoid (issuing tickets) if possible. But we have safety concerns and we have to address them," Blecker said. "We don't want to be the Grinch."

Larsen and his family won a $50,000 prize in December 2013 on the ABC show "The Great Christmas Light Fight." Larsen gets a few donations from people visiting the display, and his website has links to other charities, such as the Susan G. Komen Foundation and Make-A-Wish Foundation urging people to pay it forward as they enjoy his lights and holiday tradition.

"I don't want to see people get ticketed," Larsen said. "It's four weekends out of the year on a country road. I think it will work out. All I want to do is to meet with them."

1 million lights in Elburn display that earned TV spot

TV champ Elburn light show extended through Sunday

  Brian and Angela Larsen won $50,000 three years ago in "The Great Christmas Light Fight," an ABC reality series. They had three weeks in October to set up an estimated 1 million lights and program a 30- to 45-minute show. Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com
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