@*%?^&$# Zoning Board

[SS MAYFLOAT]

In 98 my wife and I purchased our home that is across the street from an American Legion hall. Just found out recently that they are decommissioning. Since the No Smoking Law, they have pretty much lost all their business and members. This is just one of the many business's that have collapsed due to the smoking ban. That is just another story of sadness that has had a bad affect on the economy around here.

We got a letter yesterday from the Zoning Commission that a new owner is planning on turning it into a funeral home. Feb 24th is a meeting at the township hall to discuss the future of the piece of property across from my house.

My wife and I are just worried about what it is going to do to the value of our property. A few friends said it would be better than the bar business from the legion while others said that they wouldn't buy a house next to a funeral home.

We are planning on going to this meeting. It will be the first for the both of us to get involved in fighting a situation like this. The only defense we have is what it is going to do with the value of our home plus the added congestion on the road that is already a very busy route. We both think that our time and effort to fight this will not be heard as there is only about 4 houses that this plan effects.

We feel that if this funeral home goes in, our property will be critiqued by busy bodies on the amount of boats and materials that we have laying around.

My wife is worried that I'll make an arse out of myself if I blow my top at the meeting. If anyone has any ideas or angles for me to fight this, my wife and I sure would appreciate it. Thanks.......SS

 

[thurps]

Re: @*%?^&$# Zoning Board

Seems how one can't get political here, all I can say is think of it as a good thing. After all people will be dying to come to your neighborhood.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: @*%?^&$# Zoning Board

I have seen Funeral Homes mixed in with residential areas and I actually do not feel they would impact my decision. With that said..... make sure it is just going to be a funeral home and they have no plans to install a cremation system...... that does have an impact.

Who knows you can advertise "memorial cruises" and make some money

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: @*%?^&$# Zoning Board

Oh yeah DO NOT BLOW YOUR TOP!!!! at the meeting or you will not gain anything.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: @*%?^&$# Zoning Board

I have seen Funeral Homes mixed in with residential areas and I actually do not feel they would impact my decision. With that said..... make sure it is just going to be a funeral home and they have no plans to install a cremation system...... that does have an impact.

Who knows you can advertise "memorial cruises" and make some money

The piece of property they are getting is about 10 acres. Plenty of room for an incinerator. This is what we do not want. We are outside the city limits where the codes are a bit more lax, and that is what worries us.

One plus would be our house would be a good location for a funeral director that has lost his licenses to a DUI He could walk a 100 yards and be at work.

There is a big Army type tank in the front yard. Not sure how they can put that into the landscaping for a funeral home.

 

[mthieme]

Re: @*%?^&$# Zoning Board

About 1/2 the funeral homes around these parts are in residential areas. They're pretty quiet.
My advice for the meeting is to be prepared and organized.
Get with like-minded neighbors and form a petition with signatures.

The tank would make a heckuva tow vehicle!

 

[Navy Jr.]

Re: @*%?^&$# Zoning Board

A funeral home company presented plans to the planning commission for a new facility in a residential area of our community a number of years ago. There were the usual "The traffic is going to kill our kids playing in the streets" and "How can it be put in a residential neighborhood and not a commercial district?" comments. By the time it went to the city council there were petitions and the council hall was packed with concerned neighbors.

The council was bound by the current zoning laws and it passed the project much to the angst of neighbors.

The result? Everything worked out just fine. The building they erected was designed to fit in with the surrounding homes, that is it was built like a large house and not a small company. Most of the funerals have been small family gatherings. Traffic is less of an issue than if a business had been put in its place instead.

Like was said earlier, do your homework and get the facts, but I would add that you resist emotional responses. The final solution might actually be better than what is there now.

 

[mthieme]

Re: @*%?^&$# Zoning Board

Just had another thought.
Maybe Bob can send you a "Blasting Zone" sign for your front yard.

 

[JB]

Re: @*%?^&$# Zoning Board

Seems to me that a funeral home would be a much more desirable neighbor than a drinking and carousing establishment.

 

[DJ]

Re: @*%?^&$# Zoning Board

I wouldn't get too steamed about having a funeral home nearby. It wouldn't bother me one bit.

Where I live, I have an elementary school two blocks away. Every school day at 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM, we have an endless parade of soccer moms in Suburbans and Sequoia's sitting, with engines running, waiting to drop off or pick up children. I guess the kids are incapable of walking the three blocks. This is Arizona. It doesn't rain or snow. One day, I counted 57 vehicles--waiting. Talk about a colossal mess.

As mentioned before, many funeral homes are in residential areas. Every one I've seen fit (appearence) into the neighborhood quite well.

Your freinds are telling you they wouldn't buy a house near a funeral home. Well, 1. They aren't buying anywhere. 2. That is irrational thinking.

 

[mscher]

Re: @*%?^&$# Zoning Board

In 98 my wife and I purchased our home that is across the street from an American Legion hall. Just found out recently that they are decommissioning. Since the No Smoking Law, they have pretty much lost all their business and members. This is just one of the many business's that have collapsed due to the smoking ban. That is just another story of sadness that has had a bad affect on the economy around here.

Many fraternal organizations are struggling and not just from smoking laws. Old members are dying off and potential new members are too busy, trying to make a living. Stiffer drunk-driving laws did help membership either.

Concerning your new "neighbors". IMO, I could not think of a better commercial business, to have nearby. Cars coming and going quietly, gone by 8pm. Busy "traffic" on funeral day, for a couple of hours.

Most funeral homes I see look like they are closed 90% of the time.

Count your blessings.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: @*%?^&$# Zoning Board

I wouldn't get too steamed about having a funeral home nearby. It wouldn't bother me one bit.

Where I live, I have an elementary school two blocks away. Every school day at 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM, we have an endless parade of soccer moms in Suburbans and Sequoia's sitting, with engines running, waiting to drop off or pick up children. I guess the kids are incapable of walking the three blocks. This is Arizona. It doesn't rain or snow. One day, I counted 57 vehicles--waiting. Talk about a colossal mess.

That is part of the heavy congestion we have now. When school is out, traffic is moderate. When school is in session, it seems as if everyone drives their kids since I see buses that have hardly any passengers.

In the morning, to go east is no problem, but going into town it can take 5 to 10 min before you can get an opening to pull out. Just opposite between 3 pm to 7 pm in the evening. The morning/evening rush for work is bad enough, and then add the school traffic, it gets bad. I'm sure that the funeral home would work around those times.

Thanks for the responses. They are sorta inline with what I was telling my wife. In town there are funeral homes in residential areas. I never heard anyone complaining about those. For my wife it is more of a spirit/ghost thingy going on. Of course I popped off about when that guy had buried that woman on the neighbors property behind my house and that it didn't bother her then. Got a good El Smacko out of that one

Guess this could be a good thing. Maybe the State Highway patrol will quit pulling people over in my yard for a DUI check.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: @*%?^&$# Zoning Board

Well, at least your new neighbors will be quiet!

 

[OldePharte]

Re: @*%?^&$# Zoning Board

Many years ago, a woman who worked with the Boslady, had a parcel of land across the street from them that the owner wanted to sell to a funeral home. Same arguments as above were made. So instead, they erected a huge apartment complex. Traffic is a lot worse, more noise, and more trash with the apartments.

I would argue that the "looks" of the facility should be addressed along with landscaping to ensure that it fits within the surrounding neighborhood.

 

[gonfishn]

Re: @*%?^&$# Zoning Board

Just be up front with them SS. Strict regs. cover any crematory before you would see that. A ridgerunners approach would be to put a refrigerator on yur front porch. Then add few beer cans for added attraction, mixed in with some boat parts,an old car or any anything else you may want to add to the decor. They may decide to think about their decision.

 

[Bob in Calif.]

Re: @*%?^&$# Zoning Board

If the mortuary permit is granted, I would let city hall know, as a neighbor, I would approve the mortuary zoning, if the mortuary is granted a liquor license.

...Bob in Calif... "Where you get nothing for your money."

 

[lowkee]

Re: @*%?^&$# Zoning Board

A funeral home sounds like a good neighbor to me. As long as they agree not to have the crematorium, I'd push for it. Better than the aforementioned apartment complexes and it beats having yet another church to stare at. They might even rent the tank for military funerals

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: @*%?^&$# Zoning Board

Go to the meeting and take a look at the plans. Good chance the new owners may have already been in front of the planning board with the plans. You can fight it if the zonning needs to be changed to allow the purposed usage. Take note of anything proposed that does not meet the existing township codes. Could be one or two could be a whole handfull of things. Beware of the owners asking for a "Special exemption" This is basicly asking for something that does not meet code to be allowed without a variance or zoninng hearing. Dont stand for that. Make them go through all the proper procedures. Look through the old meeting minutes from years past to see where the township is soft in certain areas, look for any presidents that have been set with former zonning hearings that will help your cause. All that info is open to the public, and available at your township building. Most important is SHOW UP at each and every meeting concerning this issue, and be resectful of the board and the new owners.

If your totaly against this and if you can find one or two issue and you and your neighbors team up and fight it with a lawyer if need be, you can stop this. or at least give one heck of a fight.

 

[npd4432]

Re: @*%?^&$# Zoning Board

In my area, the neighborhoods with the funeral homes are well kept and nice. One thing is that most funerals take place during the day and will not interfere with your daily life if you are at work. All of the American Legions around here are just watering holes for a bunch of drunks and barely have any active members, just social drinkers. The burning thing would consern me, but make this known at the meeting.

 

[Mike722]

Re: @*%?^&$# Zoning Board

A properly run incinerator would be no worst then the other waste that they will be producing.