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Politics & Government

Public Hearing on Proposed Crematory Remains Open

Council will continue to accept public comments on whether to amend township zoning to allow for crematories.

Peters Township Council has decided to continue the public hearing on the proposed curative amendment to allow for crematories within Peters Township. The property at the center of this proposed zoning change is 3287 Washington Road. 

Licensed funeral director Danielle Belusko aims to put a full-service funeral home with crematory at the vacant Washington Road site, which is in a commercially zoned area. Since existing zoning does not allow for crematories anywhere in the township, Belusko has requested a change to the ordinance.

Residents filled council chambers Monday night to voice their opposition to having any crematories within the township, especially at the Washington Road location, that sits only hundreds of feet from a residential area. Approximately 20 people were sworn in and addressed council.

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Mercury emissions, air quality and a decline in property values of homes near the Washington Road location continue to be the main concerns of most residents. Other issues brought up are whether the site has sufficient parking for a funeral home and where overflow vehicles will park.

Last week, the Zoning Hearing Board to Belusko on the required number of parking spaces for the site. The variance allows for the number of parking spaces to be defined by building usage rather than square footage. The variance will require 44 spaces at the former La-Z-Boy site. The submitted site plan has 63 spaces on the 1.69-acre site.

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Another issue on top of mind for residents is that changing existing zoning to allow for crematories as an ancillary use to funeral homes will open the township to additional crematories in the future. Residents feel any change in existing zoning will negatively impact Peters Township. 

Belusko and her attorney gave a presentation to council and residents that discussed plans for the site. The presentation included comments from Drew J. Gilbert, owner of Gilbert Funeral Home and Crematory in Boston, Pa. Gilbert operates a crematory at his funeral home, which is located in a residential area. He said he has never received any complaints from the community, and that his crematory is checked regularly by the Allegheny County Health Department Air Quality Division.

However, the Gilbert Funeral Home is in Allegheny County whereas funeral homes in Washington County are subject to oversight by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, which follows different standards.

According to the Cremation Association of North America, 2,100 crematories exist in North America. Thirteen permitted crematories exist within Allegheny County, and two in Washington county though an additional one is believed to be in progress. Nearly 40 percent of all deaths in America result in cremation over traditional burial, and that number is expected to continue to rise.

Based on the strong opposition from residents, and the fact that a large amount of information on crematories and their impact on a community still needs to be reviewed, council selected to keep the public hearing open. By law, the township must make a decision on the issue within 45 days of the last hearing. Since the public hearing is still ongoing, that deadline has yet to be reached. Several residents again requested the township retain special council for this issue.

At its , the Peters Township Planning Commission voted 5-0 on a motion to deny a zoning ordinance amendment that would allow crematories to operate as an accessory use to a funeral home in C-1 and C-2 zoning districts. 

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