04/09/2022
[We apologize for the length of this post, but we feel it's important to fully explain this information and our subsequent decision to permanently shut down]
As you might imagine, it takes a lot of time and effort to install the lights we use for our light shows. It takes approximately 3-4 weeks each year to install and completely tear down and also requires the rental of equipment to reach the highest peaks on our home. In 2021, we completely redesigned the layout and took great care to ensure that all lights on the house blended well with the existing facade, used the exact paint color of the existing trim, and did not detract significantly from the look and feel of the house.
In addition to Christmas and Halloween shows, it was our hope that we would also be able to turn on lights for other major Holidays throughout the year. In addition, we were hoping to find a way to reduce the man hours required for install / removal as the amount of time we spent on the show in 2020 and 2021 (hundred of hours each year) is unsustainable over the long term.
Because there are provisions in the HOA CC&R’s that prohibit non-Holiday lighting without approval, we submitted an application to the Architectural Review Committee of the Legend HOA in January of 2022 to leave up some base lights that would cut the installation / removal time from 3-4 weeks down to 3-4 days (and allow for celebration of additional Holidays throughout the year). Our initial application was denied on the basis that the remaining lights “disrupt[ed] the aesthetics of the home.”
After the application was denied, we spent additional time cleaning up some specific items that were mentioned in the denial letter including removing some visible mounts, rerouting existing cables to completely hide connections, and covering exposed cables with covers that allowed them to blend in with the facade.
We then appealed the decision to the HOA and sent new pictures of the updates we made along with several arguments of why it was not a detraction. Included in our appeal were signed statements from eight separate homeowners (and Legend HOA members) immediately adjacent to or within 3 houses of ours on all sides. They signed on to our appeal that the lights were not disruptive, did not detract from the neighborhood, and believed the small number of remaining lights should be allowed as an exception.
The full Legend HOA Board met to hear the appeal. We presented our reasons that we felt an exception should be made but no other HOA members were allowed to speak on our behalf. We offered several times during the meeting that we were willing to make additional compromises in the hope that we could leave as many of the existing lights up as possible and could continue to celebrate various holidays throughout the year as well as cut down on the setup time and expense for the main light shows.
After hearing our appeal, the board again denied our request calling our installation “shabby” and one board member even stated during the meeting that maybe Villebois wasn’t the right kind of neighborhood to have a show like we were doing.
After the second denial, we engaged an attorney to try to find a resolution that would allow us to continue running our show. Unfortunately, the attorney was told by the HOA counsel that the president of the HOA Board was “not willing to discuss this matter further.”
We (and many / most of the residents on Madrid Loop) feel the remaining lights are done very tastefully and do not detract from the neighborhood at all. This is partially evidenced by the fact that in the last 45 days, both the house next door to us and the house on the other side of that one were both listed and sold in less than a week even though we still had lights on our house (at least one and possibly both of those sold above asking price).
We feel strongly that an exception to HOA rules in our case would not cause any negative impacts and would greatly benefit Villebois, the city of Wilsonville, and surrounding areas. We fought strongly for what we and our neighbors believed was a huge positive influence in our community. Unfortunately, it’s out of our hands at this point as the Legend HOA Board disagreed and we have exhausted all our means of trying to persuade them otherwise.
So due to the amount of time it takes to install and remove all of the lights each time and the Legend HOA Board’s unwillingness to make an exception, we have made the difficult decision to remove the remaining lights and permanently stop doing any light shows.
We would like to thank everyone that came by to see our show. And it pains us most deeply that the countless kids (and many adults) that looked forward to coming by as often as possible will not be able to experience the joy that our lights brought to everyone.
Sincerely,
MadLoopLights
