LAKEPORT, Calif. – On Tuesday night the Lakeport City Council turned down an application for a Halloween event whose organizer asked to shut down a street on what is one of the city's busiest nights of the year.

Wayne Yahnke of Haunted Lake County put forward plans to hold a Halloween event, titled “A Walk Through the Forest,” in his neighborhood on Halloween night. He intends to move it to a different venue next year.

His application to the city, submitted on Oct. 11, said the walk-through haunted house event would take place from 4 to 9:30 p.m., and have decorations, Halloween props and costumes, with donations from the event to go to Mendo Lake Credit Union's Valley fire fund.

Yahnke asked the city to close Forest Drive from Terrace Drive to Hillcrest Drive, barricade each end of the closure, sweep the street the day before the event and have extra police patrols in the area.

Lakeport Police Lt. Jason Ferguson, sitting in for Chief Brad Rasmussen, said there were a number of concerns, including the lack of a traffic and parking safety plans, and the fact that Yahnke was asking for the road closure in an area of the city that doesn't have much parking and, in some spots, doesn't have curb, gutter and sidewalk.

“This is one of the areas where there's a lot of trick-or-treaters,” said Ferguson. He added, “Halloween for us in the city of Lakeport is already very busy.”

He said at nearby Clear Lake High School there will be the Kiwanis annual Halloween party, which is expected to draw about 800 children, with another event, a harvest festival, also set to take place in the area that night.

City Public Works Director Mark Brannigan also raised safety issues. “At first glance this looks like it wouldn't be a big issue,” he said, also citing dangers during nighttime hours, and the lack of a parking plan.

Yahnke said he reviewed the city's concerns and had a phone conversation with Rasmussen about alternative plans, including permission for parking at the nearby High Street Village shopping center and additional lighting.

He's been doing the event for four years, Yahnke said, and drew up to 300 people last year. Ferguson said there were concerns that the event could be “significantly larger” this year.

Yahnke, who said he had the required insurance, also is a trauma nurse, and indicated he was prepared to handle the event safety.

Councilman Kenny Parlet calculated city costs of up to $1,100 to provide the services Yahnke requested, asking if Yahnke thought it was a fair tradeoff for the several hundred dollars it's hoped the event will raise for fire victims. Parlet also raised additional liability issues for the city.

“I've tried to address the concerns,” said Yahnke, adding he thought it was fair to ask the city for the support of his fundraising objectives.

Councilwoman Stacey Mattina asked Ferguson, who had sat in with Rasmussen while he was on the call with Yahnke, about what Rasmussen's bottom line was on the event. Ferguson said his chief didn't want the road closed due to traffic concerns.

Ferguson said police also wanted more planning time. “This kinda came at us really quickly,” he said.

Mayor Martin Scheel said he liked the event idea. However, he added, “For me, it solely rests on our chief of police and our Public Works folks,” and their concerns.

Scheel called Halloween “a very unique night” in Lakeport, explaining that it's probably the city's busiest night of the year for pedestrians. He said all it would take is for one child to get bumped by a car for blame to start being directed everywhere.

Brannigan added that he was concerned about people getting confused and frustrated. “It's not a time for drivers to be unsure of what they're supposed to be doing.”

Warren Myrick, a Forest Drive resident, said he and his wife love Halloween and have fun with families that visit the neighborhood, but he spoke against the event.

“Last year was something like we've never seen before. It was shocking, it was scary,” he said, although he said he didn't believe that was Yahnke's intent.

He said the neighborhood has small streets and, in some cases, no sidewalks. Last year, there was so much traffic that there was a traffic jam, and people parking in front of driveways.

Myrick said he would donate time to helping the event be held somewhere else.

Parlet moved to deny application, with the council voting 5-0.

Scheel thanked Yahnke for coming in. “I know it's not the news you wanted,” Scheel said. “You will have our support definitely for next year.”

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.