HOA fines Peoria man for having colored porch lights in honor of first responders

PHOENIX — A Peoria man said he received an HOA violation for porch lights he set up honoring Arizona’s first responders.

The controversy started after he set up two lights, one red and one blue, on each side of his garage door.

Gene Sweeney said his community’s HOA demanded he take down the colorful decorations, which he said reflect his appreciation of police officers, firefighters and other first responders.

“It said that they need to be restored to the original thing, which was a white light, so I wrote a very passionate letter,” Sweeney told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Outspoken with Bruce and Gaydos.

Peoria man fighting to keep his home’s red and blue porch lights up

However, the WestWing Mountain Homeowners Association denied his appeal regarding the colored exterior lights, according to letters Sweeney shared with KTAR News.

The HOA gave him until Aug. 31 to remove the red and blue lights. It said he could display the colored lights in his house’s backyard instead.

Sweeney then reached out to the Peoria City Council for support, but a letter from Councilman Matt Bullock explained that city officials could not intervene on his behalf, as municipalities are not permitted to override HOA regulations.

Sweeney said he simply can’t understand why the HOA wants the lights down. In his opinion, they aren’t hurting anybody.

“I don’t get it,” Sweeney said. “It’s not blinding people. It’s a simple salute, just like my back window, just like my license plate for the fallen officers.”

In fact, he said he gets a lot of appreciation for the way he shows his solidarity for police officers and firefighters.

“I think that somebody who probably wasn’t too popular in gym class in high school had nothing to do and now they have some power and it’s kind of sad,” Sweeney said. “People come by, give me the salute and the ‘hi,’ and they appreciate it.”

Peoria man says porch lights show solidarity for policemen, firemen

He said his lights are a tribute to heroes like Officer Gabriel Facio of the Apache Junction Police Department, who was killed in the line of duty earlier this year.

“These people go out — and the military goes out — all the time, and we need to step up and salute them,” Sweeney said.

He also pointed to the Idaho firefighters killed in late June, when a gunman set a fire to ambush first responders, as another tragic example of the sacrifices made by those who serve.

“I’m not not asking to change the law,” Sweeney said. “I’m just asking for a little bit of a break here and having no luck.”

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