used-car-lot-style pennants [that] run between trees;
plastic reindeer;
smiley faces painted on the driveway;
lampshades tied to bushes, and …
the stuffed animals and signs, some with religious slogans, [that] cover virtually the entire yard, the house and the carport.
So what have the neighbors done?
[They] have complained repeatedly over the past year, leading to visits by police officers, firefighters, elected officials, and representatives from several county agencies. Residents aired their objections recently at a public forum held by County Executive Ken Ulman.
The results?
… inspectors have uncovered no violations of county codes. In a county where many newer neighborhoods follow Columbia’s example of controlling appearances through stringent private covenants, Alban’s yard seems beyond the reach of government regulation.
Squadoosh. Zippy. Nada.
“We don’t do pretty,” said county zoning enforcement chief George Beisser. “What’s one person’s junk is another person’s art.”
I’m with Cato Institute “expert on private property rights” Roger Pilon who suggested that the neighbors should “lighten up.”