A Trumbull Yard With a View

In summer, Judy Nighland's Green Street backyard is filled with greenery, blocking her view of the neighboring . But that changes with the weather.

"That will die. That will all go away. In the winter, I feel like I live in the mall parking lot," said Nighland, who moved into the home to care for her parents several years ago. "I've been so minimal in my  request" for shielding from the mall.

Her parents have lived in the home since 1952, before the mall was built. It was a park-like environment at that time where she used play and swim.

The mall came in when Nighland was a teenager. "There weren't as many stores and it wasn't as big," she said.

Today, the mall holds outdoor events that she can see and hear, at one point forcing her to keep her windows shut this summer.

"We smelled gas all summmer coming from the carnival, the circus and the rides," Nighland said. Once, she saw a scuffle in the parking lot.

She said the mall has tried to accomodate her, but the measures have not been enough.

So far, she has asked First Selectman Tim Herbst for help, who met with Trumbull mall officials. She has also made a plea to Westfield's California office.

A Westfield spokeswoman there declined to comment.

Nighland added that she and her family cannot afford to install a fence, and shouldn't have to. "The mall has invaded our privacy. Westfield spends millions in other upgrades and improvements — why not be a good neighbor and spend some to do the right thing by us?"

"We have been tolerant neighbors for over 40 years," she added. "The noise from the buses, cars and boomboxes, walking traffic and offensive language, weedwhacking, snow removal, construction and more recently, the carnival, Trumbull Day and circus events all lessen the quality of our lives."