Crowd-drawing Christmas lights on full display after homeowner addresses traffic issues
A popular holiday light display that was in jeopardy after a Williamstown Township blight order is shining bright after the homeowner and her neighbors reached a compromise.
Cheryl Underwood, who owns a house on Damon Road, started creating elaborate Halloween and Christmas displays with the help of her friend Brian Wamhoff during the pandemic in 2020.
But Underwood didn’t put up Halloween decorations up this fall because Williamstown Township officials issued her a blight order citing traffic congestion and issues with visitors parking on neighbors’ properties while visiting the display.
Township Supervisor Wanda Bloomquist suggested Underwood reach out to neighbors to work toward possible solutions.
Underwood said she met with Meridian Township Police Chief Ken Plaga to gauge what was legal. The takeaway: traffic has to continue to flow.
Underwood said she then wrote letters to her neighbors explaining she would post signs urging motorists to keep traffic moving and not to block Underwood's neighbors’ driveways.
Underwood even offered her help and access to a bucket truck for neighbors who wanted to decorate their houses or trees. She said two neighbors took her up on her offer.
“They (township officials) just said to try to reach out to the neighbors, which we did. Then we put the “no parking” in place,” Underwood said. “That was the issue so that’s how we resolved it. Not allowing parking created a free flow of traffic.”
Underwood and Wamhoff began putting up the holiday display on Nov. 1. She said it took about 200 hours over the course of a month to complete the display that features more than 200,000 lights.
Underwood says she’s had no issues this year.
“The traffic has not been bad at all. Everyone who visits is very kind and complies,” Underwood said.
On Tuesday evening, Wamhoff, dressed as Santa, waved to cars as they passed by and handed out chocolate. Underwood, who was inside her home recovering from an illness, normally joins Wamhoff, as Mrs. Claus. A gingerbread character Ginger and a moose named Moosey, played by Wamhoff’s daughter and his daughter’s friend, are new additions to this year’s display.
“It creates joy in a really dark time. The looks on people's faces as they drive by with kids, the elderly, is so rewarding,” Underwood said. “We like to make people happy.”
Contact photographer Nick King at nking@lsj.com.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Haslett home Christmas display shines bright after compromise
