Preston Hollow Christmas Lights Fiasco Escalates With Neighborhood Blockade
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In a twist to the Preston Hollow Christmas lights saga, a private group has taken out a special event permit limiting public access to part of the neighborhood. While pedestrians were allowed to check out the display Sunday evening, it seems a blockade of sorts was in effect the two nights prior.
The move follows tensions over whether Dallas officials should beef up the city code to clamp down on homes that effectively become public attractions. While the technical debate at City Hall has been about alleged nuisance properties more broadly, it’s been the elaborate holiday displays at 6215 Deloache Ave. that have forced the issue.
Some residents living near the home have been frustrated with the large crowds of onlookers coming to enjoy the extravagant Christmas lights donning the Preston Hollow mansion. The display went viral last year, prompting tens of thousands of dollars in public safety resources to be directed to managing the consequent traffic flow. Ryan De Vitis, the home’s owner, followed that up with a top-notch Halloween display and then Grinch-themed decor this holiday season.
However, this past weekend, Dallas police were at the scene — not to manage traffic but to redirect it.
In a special announcement, the city said Preston Hollow Citizens for a Safer Community took out a permit to restrict vehicle and pedestrian traffic between Preston Road and Edgemere Road on weekend evenings this month.
“The terms of the permit required the neighborhood group to hire four off-duty officers to control access. An invitation being circulated on social media is not valid for access,” the city said. “Only residents of the 6200 block of Deloache and those on their guest list will be admitted.”
Local activist Damien LeVeck, who has been vocal about his support for the extraordinary Christmas cheer on display at 6215 Deloache (and criticism of officials opposed to it), posted a video on social media Friday showing officers turning people away from Deloache Avenue at Preston Road. Some traveled from as far away as Frisco.
He claimed no fewer than 10 patrol cars and at least as many officers were guarding entry to three different streets in the area from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday night, though, people were allowed to enter the block and enjoy the Christmas lights. Visitors are also welcome tonight, but not on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, according to a special event notice, which LeVeck posted on social media. He noted that the document doesn’t make any mention of prohibiting pedestrian traffic. In fact, it reads: “This closure will not affect pedestrian access to this block.”
While this whole saga might seem much ado about nothing, the sheer volume of spectators this season and last prompted a great deal of upset on both sides. On the one hand, people living on and around the block have expressed concern about emergency vehicle access and frustration with the considerable evening traffic by their homes. On the other hand, it’s Christmas, and the light displays have been pretty damn incredible.
In all seriousness, though, the city is considering empowering the Code Compliance Department with enforcement mechanisms to crack down on nuisance properties. At present, officials are encouraging residents to weigh in on the situation through an online survey measuring attitudes on the “impact of noise and lighting issues from events or gatherings.”
Staff will present the findings to the Quality of Life, Arts & Culture Committee next year.
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Geez…..its Christmas!
I believe fun lights and displays are expected in the holiday season. If a home’s display attracts a large crowd of people, the homeowner needs to foot the bill for any crowd/traffic control.
In some respects wonky light shows can be quite annoying, causing headaches and generally disruptive to neighbors but after all it’s the holidays. If you can afford an extravagant holiday display, please allow for the cost of traffic and crowd control.
Code enforcement needs to focus on and provide timely response to important issues.
The outcome of the open records request on this issue is going to be legendary. For starters, the event description is “preserving the peace.” Preserving someone’s definition of peace is in no way an event and reflects the bastardization of this process, likely at the behest of the insistent council member.
Love this house every season, how sweet they are to all the kids. My grand children love this house.
I see no complaints in the park cities! And there are several large displays in highland park and on much more narrow streets.
Could it be that the home owner supports President Trump?
Keep the beautiful and fun displays coming.
Merry Christmas to the family at 6215 Deloache
I would be ashamed to have my name affiliated with the Preston Hollow Citizens for a Safer Community. What a great way to become a national embarrassment. The display went viral, and the attraction would’ve gone away after a while, but the Grinch’s only managed to make it a bigger story.