Man's plans for haunted house on hold after city inspectors get wind of it

The future was uncertain Tuesday for a backyard haunted house planned for the last two weekends of October in a northeast Carson City neighborhood.

Christina Stinson said that she received a message on her answering machine Monday after a story in Sunday's Nevada Appeal on her husband's plans to offer a haunted house at their home on Broadleaf Lane.

The Halloween attraction included plans for a faux boarded-up mine inhabited by monsters, a witch's cavern, haunted nursery and a graveyard, among other things.

The only admission charge Stinson planned to ask of visitors was a can of food to be donated to Carson City's homeless through various organizations.

Lena Tripp, senior permit technician for the Public Works Department's building and business license divisions, said that the Stinsons have been notified that there could be problems with their plans, but nothing had been decided yet.

She declined to comment on specifics, saying only that an assessment needed to be conducted of the Stinsons' backyard, where the haunted house is being put together, before any decision would be considered.

Stinson said she was pretty upset by the whole thing.

"We're not making any money; we're not selling a product," she said. "It's basically a Halloween party for two weekends - just something fun for the community. It's a haunted house, for heaven's sake. God forbid we try to help people with something fun."

Jason Stinson said a city building inspector and a fire inspector had dropped by the house Tuesday to look over the under-construction haunted house. They made a few recommendations and pointed out what might be considered safety hazards.

Stinson said he does not know when he will find out whether he can proceed with his plans, but he is meeting with inspectors Oct. 20.