Planning commission recommends denying Waxahachie haunted-house permit over parking, safety and noise concerns

The Waxahachie Planning and Zoning Commission voted 3–2 on June 10 to recommend denial of a specific-use permit (case ZDC-69-2025) for an indoor haunted-house called Reindeer Manor proposed at 500 West Madison Street. Commissioners said the site’s parking shortfall, narrow adjacent streets and the potential for noise and obstructed drive aisles outweighed staff-proposed mitigation.

Staff introduced the application and noted the proposed use is permitted in the site’s light-industrial zoning but requires a specific-use permit because the operation cannot meet the city’s parking standard. "They're proposing to operate for 1 year, specifically 9 nights in this upcoming October season," Zach, a city staff member, told the commission. Staff estimated the attraction would have about 40 seasonal employees and that a typical requirement for a use this size would be about 110 parking spaces; the applicant proposed roughly 17 dedicated spaces plus about 25 off-site spaces through agreements and additional use of public downtown parking.

Why it matters: commissioners and nearby residents said the nearest streets (Patterson and West Madison) are narrow and in some places eroded or lacking sidewalks, creating a risk that patrons and employee parking would block traffic and hinder emergency response. Resident John Wedel described a washout along Patterson and said the area "does not have the layout or infrastructure to support the operation of that business," urging the commission to deny the request.

Applicant and mitigation: the applicant, identified in the case filing as Alex Lohman, said the haunted house would occupy roughly 5,000 of an 11,000-square-foot suite, estimated about 3,500 total attendees across the season (about 350 per night on weekends), and proposed timed ticketing, off-site parking agreements, staff to direct patrons and a shuttle for employees. "We feel like we can make a very positive difference on commerce that time of year," Lohman said. Lohman also described an internal safety system for staff and a strong record working with fire marshals.

Noise and right-of-way concerns: several residents, including Kathleen Bowen, questioned whether activity and cleanup would push sound and pedestrian movement past limits in Chapter 20 of the Waxahachie Code of Ordinances. Bowen said the plan’s projected 380 attendees per day (a figure she cited from the applicant’s operational plan) and the lack of sidewalks made compliance with the code and with staff condition 4 (which requires the drive aisle and adjacent right-of-way remain unobstructed) appear unlikely. Bowen asked who would monitor compliance and enforce conditions if the permit were approved.

Deliberation and vote: after public comment and commissioner questions about occupancy limits and parking mitigation, a motion to recommend denial was made and seconded. The commission approved the motion 3–2. The recommendation to deny the specific-use permit carries to the next step in the local approval process, which commissioners discussed during the hearing.

Next steps and context: staff also noted the building has a functional fire sprinkler system and that any final occupancy will be set by the building official at certificate-of-occupancy review. Commissioners and staff flagged additional upcoming meetings related to impact-fee work required by recent state legislation. The commission adjourned after the vote.