Bizarre paint scheme on Glen Ellyn home draws attention from neighbors, authorities

[ GLEN ELLYN ]

A believed neighbor dispute has left the side of a Glen Ellyn house multicolored and residents wondering where to turn for assistance.

The antics from the house at 444 Longfellow Ave. have not only drawn ire from community members but also gotten attention from the police, the DuPage Health Department and village officials.

Julie Dombroski, who police listed as living at the residence, received a citation from the Glen Ellyn Police Department on July 24 for exceeding the maximum number of pets allowed at a residence. They are housing four dogs, which is above the village limit of three.

The Environmental Health Services at the DuPage County Health Department also received a complaint about excessive dog waste at the property July 31, according to Public Information Officer Dave Hass.

The health department issued a violation notice to the property owner, which gives them until Aug. 31 to pick up the waste. The health department plans to follow up on the matter as necessary, Hass said.

And the various infractions came to a head after the health inspection. In what some neighbors speculate to be retaliation for complaints about dog waste, the residents painted the side of their house striped colors, similar to Fruit Stripe chewing gum, according to neighbor Patricia Amabile.

“It’s just a shame,” Amabile said. “We’re talking horrible displays of human behavior.”

Jill McMillan, who has lived on the block with her husband and two children for almost 11 years, was shocked when she pulled down her shades and saw the vibrantly painted side of the house. She is worried about the animosity it has caused between neighbors.

“They painted the side of their house intentionally to make someone mad,” McMillan said. “It’s a feud and they definitely wanted attention. And they got attention. It’s uncalled for and it makes me concerned as a neighbor.”

Kathy Schaffnit, who has lived on Longfellow Avenue for three years, said she was surprised at the activity of the residents in a neighborhood she describes as great.

“When I first saw it, I thought, ‘Oh, my God, what is that going to do to my property value?’” she said. “It’s going to devalue my property and I worked very hard to get my property to where it is.”

Schaffnit proposed filing a complaint and thinks 90 percent of neighbors would sign a formal complaint.

Dombroski declined to comment on the matter.

While neighbors have called into question the legality of the yellow-, orange- and purple-striped house, there is little that can be done in this situation. Glen Ellyn does not have an ordinance or any village code that regulates paint colors on houses, according to Al Stonitsch, assistant village manager.

Amabile said she also is fearful of what the house will do to property values in the area, which she fears will falter downward because of the foul smell of the block from the dog waste and the color of the side of the house.

Water run-off has caused the dog waste to spread through various properties on the block. Amabile said people walking through the neighborhood have commented on the smell.

“I can go to court and I can do whatever I want, but we won’t win because anybody can color the house any way they want,” Amabile said.

In response to the painted house and the irrigation of dog fecal matter, Amabile said she has to spend $7,000 to build a fence separating her backyard.

Amabile and other concerned neighbors are eager for a positive resolution and willing to work with neighbors to fix the situation.

“We should be able to work together and have something positive [come] out of this,” she said. “Everybody just wants this to be resolved.”

Amabile has not sought an attorney and said, ideally, she would like them to paint the house back and pick up after the animals.

“In a perfect world, we should just be civil,” she said.