Funeral Homes & Crematoria

New construction of crematoria, either as an accessory to an existing funeral home or freestanding, continues to be controversial. Last month, in Loudon, Tennessee, an application for a special exception for a crematorium was deferred by the local zoning board. Recently, Knoxville adopted tighter restrictions on operation and placement of crematoria. There been several instances of requests in and around Nashville which have raised neighborhood concerns.

Knoxville’s new regulations made most existing crematoria legally non-conforming. It also evidently had the effect of allowing an existing funeral home to add a crematorium.

Certainly, requests for cremation services are on the increase in the funeral industry. Regulations which adequately protect surrounding land uses from adverse impact are obviously worthwhile. However, much of the concern may be attributable more to actual operations rather than external impact. Regulations of the internal operation are best left to the state agencies charged with that responsibility.

Take a look at the recent news article found here.