Dominic Luberto's annual feat of light pollution Christmas devotion -- 500,000 bulbs and counting -- has long brought media attention to his Jamaica Plain home and won him admirers across the globe. He gets fan letters simply addressed to "Christmas Castle" and has started his own children's charity drive.

But his crowning achievement may be his undoing.

The Globe has more details on the City's efforts to bring down the "Crown of Christ" that Luberto constructed atop the turret of his Tudor-style castle. It seems that the ten foot tall adornment -- 650 pounds of bent wood, gold paint and plastic attached by ropes to his slate roof -- awed his neighbors with fear. (One neighor, Mitchell Turnick, was quoted in the Globe saying, "I love the lights. I just don't want anybody to get killed.")

The City agreed and ordered Luberto to doff his crown. City inspectors argue that Luberto built a construction without a permit. Luberto disagrees. It's a stand-off that is likely to polarize Bostonians -- do you love the Holidays (Luberto recently added a Star of David to make his display ecumenical) or do you love safety and responsible energy use?

Bostonist wants to know: in a year when the T has seen its energy costs increase by $17 million, what's Luberto's bill come to these days?

Read a recent interview with Luberto at Universal Hub.

Photo by Rick Sawyer