Business & Tech

City To Regulate Crematories -- In Case One is Built Here

No plans for one now, but funeral home says there may be in the future

The city is drafting a list of regulations for crematories after an inquiry from a funeral home.

Jason Jardine, whose family runs , said there are no immediate plans to build a crematory at the Pearl Road business, but said he can see a time down the road when there will be a need.

"We believe it (cremation) will eventually become the future of our industry," he said. "More people these days are turning to that."

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And while the vast majority of cremations are outsourced by funeral homes, Jardine said families would appreciate the secure environment of a local crematory to know their loved ones stay close to home.

He said he called city officials to ask about regulations and learned crematories are not addressed in Strongsville's zoning code.

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Law Director Ken Kraus said that prompted city officials to draft an amendment to the zoning code to "add local requirements, in addition to state regulations."

City Council gave the measure the first of three readings April 5 and assigned it to the Planning Commission for review.

The proposed legislation says only licensed funeral homes could operate crematories, which could not be built within 150 feet of a residential property. They could be used only for human remains -- not for animals -- and their design and landscaping would have to be approved by the Architectural Review Board.

Scattering of cremated remains at the funeral home site would be prohibited. Also, carbon monoxide emissions would have to meet standards of the Cleveland Division of Air Quality and the crematory could not become "a nuisance by way of particulate matter, offensive smells, noise, smoke or any other reason," the legislation says.

Not a problem, said Jardine. An idling car emits more carbon monoxide into the air than a crematory does, he said.

"I think it's more the idea that people wouldn't want something like that around, but it's very safe," he said.

Jardine said he has not yet begun to investigate building a crematory at his family's funeral home. His call to the city was a preliminary step to see if it would be possible.

"I'm trying to catch the law up first before I look into it," he said.

 

 


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