Advertisement Sycamore Township orders 'Zombie Nativity' removed from man's lawn Due to zoning violations, display must be removed by Dec. 26 Share Shares Copy Link Copy

To passersby along a block of Sycamore Township this holiday season, Christmas may look more like "Night of the Living Dead" than a manger scene.Jasen Dixon has erected arguably the most unusual holiday display in the region.It is a cross between Halloween and Bethlehem.See photos of the display | Watch this storyLarge zombie-like figures are used in place of Joseph, Mary, Jesus and the three Wise Men.Many who drive by, some going out of their way to find his front yard, cannot help but slow down and take a long gander, perhaps approvingly, perhaps in disbelief."People come by all the time and they take pictures. They'll take videos and they'll get out of their cars," Amanda Baker, Dixon's fiance', said. "We never expected the reaction that came of it."Dixon manages the Thirteen Rooms of Doom Haunted House in Rising Sun, Indiana.He said he and Baker love Halloween and they decided to carry that feeling into December, working with what they had on hand."(We had) ugly stuff to work with," Dixon said.All of the statuary is handmade, except for the store-bought zombie Joseph and the zombie Baby Jesus.No one seemed unnerved by the undead figures at first, but then two anonymous complaints were submitted, according to Greg Bickford, of the Sycamore Township Administration Office.When an inspector came by, he found multiple doors and windows in the driveway, a township violation.He also found that the accessory structure takes up more than 35 percent of the front yard. That, too, is a violation, according to township documents.Bickford explained the violations were strictly zoning matters, that the township does not regulate displays for content.Dixon scoffed at that claim and Baker said the display was not designed to offend anyone's holiday or religious sensibilities."We've heard stuff like that," she said. "This isn't something about, like, we're not devil worshipers."Baker said as someone who was raised Catholic, she respects the religious overtones of the Nativity scene, but also likes the "Walking Dead," a dramatic television series.The display is merely meant for fun, not controversy, the couple said.However, they could be fined $1,000 for violating township rules about accessory structures.They could appeal, take the fight to court, or abide by the order to remove the display by noon Friday, the day after Christmas.So far, it has become this month's mini-destination."There's a lot of traffic coming through just to see the Nativity scene," Baker said. "They see it on the news, and they see it on Facebook and they want to see what it's all about."When asked if he planned to dismantle the scene by the deadline, Dixon said, "I'm sure I'm going to take it down and put up something that's going to offend them just for a week."Dixon punctuated the sentence with a laugh, giving his township something else to buzz about as the old year prepares to give way to the new.