What seems like a rather cruel trick rather than a treat this Halloween became a reality for one Whittier neighborhood when city leaders told them their beloved annual celebrations would have to be scaled back because they don’t have the resources to handle the event.
The spooky season is a favorite among neighbors living on Lisco Street, where a litany of elaborate Halloween decorations can be seen adorning almost every home. This year, however, it looks like the ghosts and monsters will have to keep the party to themselves after their spooky bash gained too much popularity.
“We keep saying it was a good thing while it lasted,” said Chris Carroll, one of the residents. “It was fun, but it’s just sad.”
Carroll has lived in the area for almost 20 years and says he likes to go all out on Halloween. He says since the pandemic, he and others have really changed up their decorations and organized a big event on their part of the street.
Since its inception, the event has grown in popularity every year, attracting large numbers of trick-or-treaters and haunted house admirers. The street is often seen on social media in the days before and after Halloween because of the real holiday feeling.
“They just love it, and we had fun scaring them because they were having a good time,” Carroll said.
Despite all the fun, neighbors recently received a letter from an attorney representing the city of Whittier stating that their annual event, which they described as having “a negative impact on the surrounding neighborhood,” would have to be scaled back.
Attorneys allege Whittier had to spend $6,000 in one night in October 2023 to deal with the fallout from the event as large crowds filled residential streets, leading to traffic jams in the area.
In addition, a number of complaints were made about noise, traffic, waste and other problems.
“I actually feel a little attacked,” said Miguel DeSantos, another neighbor. “It’s like the city is attacking Lisco Street from corner to corner.”
DeSantos says he, along with other residents, spoke with the city several times — before receiving the letter — as they tried to mitigate some of the issues that arose as crowds grew so they could allow the event to go ahead .
“We asked them for traffic control, the king of all, to help us,” he said.
Despite this, the city’s response was simply to close the event completely, stating that the neighborhood can host future events if they apply for a special permit, the same permit used for festivals, ceremonies, fairs and other uses of public space .
Such an application would require a full traffic plan, a list of street closures, security and emergency vehicle access, neighbors said.
In a statement to KCAL News, Whittier city officials said residents are encouraged to decorate their homes for Halloween, but that “what started as a small neighborhood gathering along Lisco Street has grown significantly in size and now poses associated safety concerns for the public.” priority.”
The recent turn of events has dampened the holiday spirit of those on Lisco Street, who were hoping the city would have worked better with them to keep the fun going.
“I hope the city allows us to continue the spirit of Halloween,” DeSantos said.
Neighbors say they are unlikely to apply for one of the special permits in the future because of the high costs.
