Shuttered North Huntingdon haunted house had to clear local, state hurdles

The North Huntingdon couple who had hoped to give people a Halloween treat by visiting their “home haunt” in a neighborhood would have had to satisfy both state and local regulations.

Jeff Silka, township manager, told commissioners Thursday that a desist order was issued Oct. 7 based on the fact that the township zoning ordinance prohibits commercial enterprises operating in a residential neighborhood.

To operate a haunted home at 1738 Pickford St., property owner Justin Niedzwecki would need a variance granted from the township’s zoning board. The board next meets in November.

Niedzwecki and his partner, Colleen Murtha, had planned to charge visitors $12 to take a 3 ½-minute motorized ride through the dark basement featuring about a dozen scary characters. Silka previously said, however, that even if they did not charge any money, it still would violate the township ordinance.

Neither Niedzwecki nor Murtha attended the meeting. The couple had planned to operate their Springwood Manor home haunt on Fridays and Saturdays in October as well as on Halloween, which is on a Sunday this year.

Murtha declined to comment on Friday.

After the Tribune-Review published a story about the township ordering the haunted home not to operate, Silka said he received a email from the Department of Agriculture’s Divisions of Rides and Amusements. Officials said that even if North Huntingdon would have permitted it to open, the state would have required the operators to meet various standards for rides.