Teen's haunted house fundraiser upsets neighbors
ALBANY, Calif. -- The good intentions of a teenage boy are stirring things up in Albany, Calif. All he wanted to do was to make a difference this Halloween, but now his neighbors are making a fuss.
Sam DuBois, the creator of the haunted house, showed us the scary masks he created for his haunted house. Over the past two years, his backyard haunted house in Albany has been a huge charitable success.
"A lot of people come through. A lot of people get scared and a lot of money and food is raised for the Alameda County Community Food Bank," DuBois said.
However, the construction and crowds have attracted complaints and forced him to apply and argue for a city permit.
Albany community development director Jeff Bond said, "We just want to make sure it fits well in your neighborhood and make sure it's safe for everybody."
The turnout at a city hearing was overwhelmingly in favor of the teen.
Neighbor Leda Schulak said, "Kids that do things on their own, for the good of the community and the good of the neighborhood, I think should be applauded."
But Sandra Rosal, who lives next to DuBois, says hundreds of people during four nights of Halloween festivities is too much for her family.
She told ABC7 News, "We just don't think this is the appropriate area to be doing this."
Rosal's young son Lucas Kratkin said, "I also saw a bloody head and a bloody body with no head."
The city awarded DuBois the permit, but it'll cost $461.
"Then only $300 will go to the food bank versus the $600," DuBois said.
Even more haunting is that his neighbor is promising to appeal the permit in hopes of ending the whole thing.
