A Christmas light display in Pevely has been saved.
City officials have reached an agreement with Justin Lenhard, who has set up elaborate Halloween and Christmas light shows at his home on Alsace Drive since 2020, to relocate his creation to an unnamed city park at the corner of Main and Joachim streets.
Before the agreement was reached, neighbors had complained about the amount of traffic Lenhard’s recent Halloween creation had attracted to the Vinyard subdivision, and city officials informed Lenhard he no longer could operate the display.
However, Pevely officials decided on Nov. 2 to let Lenhard start setting up the display in the park, after he, his wife, Princess, and their two sons – Ethan, 6, and Liam, 8 – attended a Pevely Board of Aldermen meeting and urged the city to save the light show.
Lenhard said the first Christmas light show in the park is expected to run from Dec. 2 through Dec. 31, featuring 10,000 lights set to 16 songs and lasting about 51 minutes.
He said he is excited about the arrangement.
Lenhard said city officials agreed to erect scaffolding to resemble the dimensions of his house and cover what is expected to be a minimal cost for electricity.
The city also will create a banner that credits the Lenhard family with creating the show.
“That’s one thing I wanted. I wanted it to be the Lenhard family light show, so we can create a legacy,” he said. “This is not a one-time thing. This is going to continue for years to come for everyone to enjoy.”
Lenhard said city officials have encouraged him to grow the display in the park each year, and he also plans to create a Halloween display in October for the city.
“I think it is going to be great,” said city attorney Allison Sweeney, who met with Lenhard on Nov. 2 to work out the agreement for the display to be moved to the park.
Other city officials who took part in the meeting included Pevely Police Capt. Larry Miller, Building Official Adam Mitchell, Ward 1 Alderman Larry Coulson and Wade Amsden, the Pevely Sewage Department supervisor who was filling in as interim city administrator at the time.
Andy Hixson took over as city administrator Monday.
Sweeney said she thinks the agreement will benefit everyone involved.
“I think it is what Pevely needs, and they want to do it. Honestly, this is the way things should work. It is just unfortunate it took this odd turn for a few days (when the city came under fire after telling Lenhard to stop turning on the display).”
Lenhard first created the light show at his Pevely home for the 2020 Halloween season, and then he set up a Christmas show later that year. For the Christmas display, he also put a box at the end of their driveway to collect donations for the Jefferson County Rescue Mission in Pevely, which provides food, clothing and other services to local people in need.
Lenhard said they donated $1,000 to the mission last year.
He said the city is developing a plan to continue to collect donations for the Rescue Mission. He said his family collected $457.57 during the first three weekends of October to donate to the nonprofit organization.
“What the Lenhards do will be greatly appreciated and will be used well to provide folks in this community with food, especially for the holidays,” said Randy Casey, a Rescue Mission volunteer.
Controversy
Two of Lenhard’s neighbors – Karen Braun and Aaron Mathis – attended the Oct. 18 Pevely Board of Aldermen meeting and complained about the traffic the display attracted.
“The past two weekends have been beyond a nuisance,” Braun told the board. “It wasn’t a problem until he did an interview on Channel 2 news. He invited everyone from the area to it. I am asking the city that in the future, if he decides to do something again, that he won’t be allowed to.”
Mathis said vehicles blocked the street, which ends in a cul-de-sac, making it difficult for emergency vehicles to access the neighborhood.
Pevely Police Capt. Larry Miller said officers investigated the display Oct. 15-17, and they reported that while there was additional traffic on the street during the show, they did not feel it was causing significant problems.
“From what we were seeing, it wasn’t that big of an issue,” Miller said. “I can see being a neighbor not wanting to see the cars coming through. I get that.”
The city sent Lenhard a letter Oct. 22 telling him to stop running his Halloween light show because he did not have a special-use permit. The letter said the display was being run like a business because it had defined operating hours and was advertised through a Facebook page and a segment that aired during a local TV news broadcast.
Lenhard said he already had decided not to operate the show the weekend of Oct. 22 after some traffic problems on his street between Oct. 15-17. However, he had hoped to reopen it on Halloween weekend, Oct. 29-31.
Lenhard said he was surprised to receive the letter telling him stop operating the lights. So, he and his family and some of their neighbors attended the Nov. 1 board meeting to ask that the Lenhards be allowed to set up a similar display for Christmas.
“I have no problem with figuring something out so everyone can enjoy this,” Lenhard told the board. “I want to work with the city to create a solution that benefits everybody.”
Braun also was at that meeting and said that while she enjoys the display, she would prefer it not be allowed at Lenhard’s home.
“The show is not the issue. The issues are concerns about traffic and safety,” she said.
During the November board meeting, Pevely Mayor Stephanie Haas said city officials and staff members wanted to find a way for Lenhard to continue creating the display.
“This board does not want to stop any creativity of any residents or stop people from displaying their holiday spirit,” she said. “I think it was miscommunication. Had the city and residents come together, I think we could have come together to make something work for everybody to enjoy.”