WILLIAMSTOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – There are 2000 chocolate Santas waiting to be unleashed in Cheryl Underwood’s closet. After having her outside Halloween display shut down by Williamstown Township in October, Underwood is gearing up for the Christmas season by doing what she can to comply with their request to make her neighbors happy and still provide a fun and free community event outside of her home.

Starting December 1st, you will be able to see her holiday display on Damon Road (near Meridian & Haslett Roads) once again, every day through the 31st from dusk until 9:30 p.m., complete with holiday lights and decorations, Santa and Mrs. Claus and chocolate Santas for the kiddos.

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Her Halloween display had been closed down by Williamstown Township because they didn’t think it was safe – or pleasing to the eye. You can see our past report on the story here. Underwood had received a cease and desist letter from Williamstown Township Supervisor Wanda Bloomquist back in December of 2021 labeling Underwood’s display as “blight.”

Underwood has been putting up Halloween and Christmas displays outside of her home since the beginning of the pandemic to bring joy to her local community by offering somewhere that the community, and especially the kids, could go to and have fun when they were being prevented from going anywhere else because of the pandemic.

Underwood said about the visitors to her home, “They want something fun and free and joyous.”

But because of neighborhood complaints, Bloomquist sent Underwood the cease and desist letter and said  “the display and resulting steady stream of traffic in the evening has caused disruption for your neighbors, resulting in complaints being filed at the Township Hall. After reviewing the display myself and taking into account the issues raised by your neighbors, I have determined that aspects of the display are in conflict with certain township ordinances.”

Bloomquist cited traffic congestion as a serious public safety issue and it was deemed a public nuisance. Underwood also got dinged for a zoning ordinance written to prevent a minimal amount of light to shine from one property onto the next. Underwood was asked to shut down the display or “modify it substantially” to bring it into compliance with the Blight Control Ordinance and Zoning Ordinance.

The issue resulted in a township meeting where multiple community members stood up and made public comments in support of Underwood and her holiday displays. One supporter said, “The joy will be taken away from hundreds and hundreds of kids that look forward to this.”

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However, not everyone appreciated Underwood’s efforts. A letter had been sent to the Williamstown Township a day before the township meeting – it was sent anonymously from “concerned residents of Damon road” who were upset that their peaceful and quiet street had so much traffic and too many cars parked on their street. They said they weren’t anti-Halloween or anti-Christmas as long as the displays were “nicely done” and adhered to township regulations.

But how many pumpkins or Santas is Underwood allowed to display? The “rules” are subjective. Because Bloomquist sent Underwood a letter about working with her neighbors concerning the holiday displays, she did just that. Underwood sent a letter to all of her neighbors about her upcoming plans to have a Christmas display.

Underwood told Michigan News Source, “I’m trying to be super compliant and really helpful and empathetic to the neighbors who complained (two or three of them). So I wrote a letter and I sent it to each of the residents on the street. It was really nice and I said ‘hey, we’re really excited about doing this for the community.’”

Underwood told them that she understands that it has grown and she told them, “We’d love for you to join us and to decorate your houses as well and I’d be more than happy to supply the bucket truck which goes 35 feet in the air if you have trees that you want to decorate that you haven’t been able to…I’d be happy to share that bucket truck and if you need decorations, I definitely have decorations that you can use and if you need some help, we’ll give you some labor. We’d love for the whole street to participate. It’d be really fun…”

She also told them that she understands if they don’t want to participate and that she’s made several modifications including that she’s not going to let anyone park in front of anyone’s house except hers. She said the display will only be running from December 1st through the 31st. She also said that the lights will be turned off every night by 9:30 p.m. and there will only be “drive-bys” allowed when it gets busy after the kids get let out on holiday vacation around the 18th. She said she’d put up signs when visitors wouldn’t be allowed to park and get out of the car during those busy times.

Underwood put a self-addressed stamped envelope in her letter and asked for any questions, concerns or comments. She didn’t hear back about any complaints but she DID receive letters from five neighbors who wanted to participate in the holiday decorations in the neighborhood and take advantage of her offer of the bucket truck and help to decorate.

The letter and a follow up e-mail about the responses she received from her neighbors were sent to Bloomquist along with a request to contact her with any questions or concerns. Bloomquist didn’t email her back. Not even a response that she received the emails. Michigan News Source reached out to Bloomquist as well and there was no response.

So things will be a little different this year but Underwood said, “We are going to do the best job we can in making it nice for the neighbors.” She says she’s done everything she could to contact the neighbors and get them on board as she was asked to do and to make it compliant by modifying it so it’s not inconvenient.

At this point, Underwood says she will just have to take things day by day. It’s not known if Bloomquist will visit the house on her own or if that’s only done if there is a complaint.