A beautifully decorated home in Dallas that went viral this past Christmas reportedly cost taxpayers thousands of dollars.
Traffic around the house in the Preston Hollow neighborhood got so bad at some points that the Dallas Police Department had to move in to provide traffic control and safety. The added burden, which took 71 officers away from responding to calls, cost taxpayers just over $25,000.
Dallas is known for lighting up the city around the holidays. Houses around the metroplex don bright lights and extensive decorations to celebrate Christmas. Dallas even boasts the tallest indoor Christmas tree in the United States, holding over 200,000 lights alone.
Despite the impressive light display in Preston Hollow, residents were faced with throngs of crowds of eager onlookers hoping to catch a glimpse of what became known as “The Viral House.”
“The homeowner’s association president reached out to me when traffic started accumulating. People running across lanes of traffic. Yards were getting damaged. As time went on, it kept getting worse and worse,” said Dallas City Council member Gay Donnell Willis, per Fox 4 KDFW.
“You had international celebrities tweeting about this. And so all of a sudden, it became the thing that everyone has to go and see.”
Willis said the tiny street, which was accustomed to quiet, could not manage the immense increase in traffic. Once it got out of hand, the Dallas Police Department was asked to help manage the situation.
“That does not seem like the best way to deploy DPD resources, but it had to be done. Instead of being able to answer 911 calls, they were managing a Christmas lights traffic situation,” added Willis.
Willis now wants a committee established to discuss if the city needs to make code changes to address similar situations in the future.
Homeowner Ryan DeVitis said the extraordinary light display was initially well-received by the street’s residents until news of the house went viral.
“However, on December 15th, a post…gained significant traction online….Throughout this experience, we observed a profound sense of community. Families dressed in Christmas pajamas convened to take photographs, sharing smiles and support, particularly among those enduring challenges….we have resolved to make the most of the situation, even in light of some neighbors adopting a contrasting viewpoint,” said DeVitis, per Fox.