TL;DR:
Slaybrook Manor isn’t a business—it’s a family-run, kid-friendly community haunt that brings neighbors together, supports local businesses/artists and raises money for local charities. Genoa Township is rewriting zoning codes right now, and unless events like ours are written in, we risk losing this tradition and its positive impact. By signing, you’re asking the Township to protect Slaybrook Manor and other community-driven events so they can continue to thrive.

Our Mission and Why We Need YOU To Sign:

Slaybrook Manor is not just some random haunted house. It’s quickly become a cherished community tradition that has been bringing our neighborhood closer together for the past couple years.  We started this endeavor because we saw a need and wanted to give back to the amazing community we are lucky enough to live in.  At no time has this ever been something we wanted to turn into a business or profit from in any way, we simply wanted to build up our village and connect people with each other in a way that was fun (and also let us be a little weird while flexing our creative muscles a bit). 

We never expected the sheer amount of positive response from our community over the past few years of doing our Halloween events.  Our little family has absolutely cherished the experience as other families and neighbors gather at our home during September to watch the build, waving as the school buses go by with kids hanging out trying to see what progress has been made, hearing the laughter and screams echo through our lovingly hand built halls, and creating fun, spooky memories for thousands of guests,  shielded from the extreme haunted house experiences offered by many commercial haunts nowadays.  Not to say that those haunts aren't amazing in their own right, but Slaybrook Manor was created with our little girl in mind, it is first and foremost a kid-friendly experience, and as such we were completely overwhelmed and touched by the support that our community showed us last year as our first "official" year open as Slaybrook Manor.  Our hope is that our influence will continue to venture out further than just a place for safe Halloween fun—the end goal is to continue to play a vital role in supporting local charities/causes, local artists, and local businesses by providing financial support through event proceeds, as well as giving them a platform to get their names and faces out by connecting with the community that they serve.

This year, we faced (and continue to face) quite a few hurdles trying to prove that we are not a business with intent to make profit with Genoa Township and their zoning department.  While working with them to find a path towards compliance, it has come to our attention that they are in the process of rewriting zoning codes in the next few months. Changes to these regulations could potentially either jeopardize or support whether Slaybrook Manor, and others like us, are allowed to operate and serve this wonderful community in the future.  We risk losing not only this vital part of our community’s social fabric but also the important charitable contributions it makes to causes and businesses that we are so passionate about.  Such a loss would deeply affect our neighborhood’s spirit at a time when community and connection are greatly needed.  

We propose that the Township includes specific provisions to safeguard community events like Slaybrook Manor in the new zoning regulations, allowing us to continue to operate with the safe practices and community building we have always focused on as our core mission. These kind of events should be recognized for their value in fostering community spirit, tradition, and support for charity and local businesses. By tailoring zoning rules that accommodate traditions like ours, Genoa Township can ensure community events that focus to give back will grow and thrive.

We urge you to please show your support for Slaybrook Manor and our mission.  Let us remind the Township of the profound positive impact these festivities bring into our lives and those of countless others.

By signing AND SHARING this petition, you are not only helping to ensure our little event can survive but you are also helping other similar activities that make Genoa Township such a vibrant, wonderful place to live.  Please let the township, and the Trustees (Mark Antonetz and Annette McMurry) that are up for election this coming November, know that you want more community driven events like ours to thrive in our town for Genoa Township and Westerville.  

If you made it this far, thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

With Gratitude,

The Delong Family