Winter Garden family's elaborate holiday decorations in jeopardy following county order
Winter Garden family's elaborate holiday decorations in jeopardy
A family known for elaborate holiday displays says county officials are forcing them to take down some longtime decorations, sparking backlash from the community. Code enforcement notified them that they must remove white tents used to protect decorations and a vintage fire truck that has been on the property for 12 years.
WINTER GARDEN, Fla. - A Central Florida family known for elaborate holiday displays says county officials are forcing them to take down some longtime decorations, sparking backlash from the community.
What's Happening:
The Williams Holiday House says their yearly Halloween and Christmas displays are at risk due to code violations. The Williams’ have been putting up the holiday displays since 1978.
According to paperwork the Williams’ received from the county, code enforcement says they need zoning approval for the white tents, gazebos, and fountain in their front yard.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX LOCAL APP
The couple are worried because those tents hold all of their decorations for the massive displays they put on and many of the decorations have "animatronics" which they say won’t withstand the weather.
A family known for elaborate holiday displays says county officials are forcing them to take down some longtime decorations, sparking backlash from the community.
The Williams’ were also told to remove an inoperative vehicle and an historic firetruck they have on property that they say has been there for 12 years.
SIGN-UP FOR FOX 35'S BREAKING NEWS, DAILY NEWS NEWSLETTERS
The community has put together a petition to help which has more than 2,700 signatures as of Monday afternoon.
What they're saying:
Since 1978, the Williams family has transformed their home each season with festive displays—from spooky Halloween setups to Christmas scenes. But this year, code enforcement notified them they must remove white tents used to protect decorations and a vintage fire truck that has been on the property for 12 years. The county released a statement saying in part:
"The code violations are for accessory structures without permits and junk vehicles at the property. The violations are not related to holiday decorations."
However, the Williams say this directly affects their displays, and they don’t know if they can put it on this year as planned.
"They would like the fire truck gone from the property, which has been there for 12 years. The Chrysler and New Yorker have been there since 1995, and they want that off the property. They want all the tents, everything cleared off the front of the property," explained Annie Williams, who puts up the displays with her husband.
"To be quite honest, we're absolutely devastated," she added. "We do this. It's a way of giving back to the community. We have a lot of people come out. This is going to absolutely devastate a lot of families. This is their family tradition, and there are lots and lots of children."
What's next:
The family has begun taking down the tents and faces a compliance deadline of Aug. 21. Failure to comply could result in fines of up to $1,000.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by Orange County Code Enforcement and Annie Williams.
Joe Biden's cancer has spread 'into his bones and further,' Hunter Biden says
Former President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer has metastasized “into his bones and further,” his son Hunter Biden said, making it "very painful" and "really sad to watch."
Tropics forecast: Low chance of development in the eastern Atlantic
The NHC is watching an area in the eastern Atlantic as a tropical wave moves off the coast of West Africa. Meteorologist T.J. Springer has the details.
Dementia risk factors: Avoiding these 3 things could delay symptoms for years, study finds
A new study has identified three health factors that could delay dementia for up to 13 years.
NHC tracking tropical disturbance in far Atlantic Ocean
NHC tracking tropical disturbance in far Atlantic Ocean
Orlando weather: Storms ramp up this weekend before heat surges
Orlando weather: Storms ramp up this weekend before heat surges
Todd Blanche confirmed as attorney general
Todd Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, has been confirmed as the next U.S. attorney general in a narrow 50-49 vote.
Orlando AM Weather Forecast: Central Florida rain chances stay high as we kick-off the weekend
It's been a soggy couple of days and that trend continues today. Meteorologist T.J. Springer has the timeline of the showers and storms and when we start to dry out. Tune in to see that and when the heat ramps back up.
New report alleges deadly DeLand double shooting was result of drug deal gone wrong: Police
A drug deal that turned into an attempted robbery may have led to the deadly shootings of two teenagers in downtown DeLand, according to a newly released police report.
Drug deal, attempted robbery may have led to deadly DeLand shooting, police say
A newly released police report says a drug deal that turned into an attempted robbery may have led to the deadly shootings of two young men in downtown DeLand.
Deputies rescue disoriented sea turtle hatchlings in Volusia County
A group of disoriented sea turtle hatchlings is safely back in the ocean after Volusia County deputies found the turtles traveling away from the water and helped redirect them, officials said.