Folsom Residents, City Leaders Divided On Proposed Crematorium
FOLSOM (CBS13) — City leaders in Folsom are deciding if a controversial new crematorium should be built in the historic district there.
Demand for cremations is growing across the country, but Folsom doesn't have a place offering the service—and some neighbors want to keep it that way.
"This is not a 'Not in my backyard,' this is 'Not in anybody's backyard,' kind of a business," Deborah Grassl said.
Grassl has lived across from the cemetery for 30 years and says it's been a good neighbor, until now.
"We are all very, very united in that this crematorium idea is not a good idea," she said.
Opposition signs are everywhere in the neighborhood
"In everybody's front yards, there are at least one or two signs," Grassl said.
Hundreds of residents have signed a petition against it.
"It's not like we're saying it's bad," another resident said. "It's just bad in a residential neighborhood."
The crematorium needs a city permit to proceed. The city's historical commission denied the plan earlier this year saying it would have a negative impact on the existing historical graves that date back to the pioneer days. Now, the cemetery managers are appealing to the full city council.
"If you can't put a crematorium in a cemetery, where can you put one," one manager said.
The locally owned company says there is a growing need for cremation facilities.
They say there would be a maximum of 500 cremations a year, and all air quality standards would be met—but many neighbors still have concerns.
"There's the ick factor. I sit on my front porch all the time. It's not something that we want to look and see a puff of smoke and think that is going on right now," one resident said.
And after more than two hours of debate, late Tuesday evening, the city council voted to postpone making a decision. They will revisit the issue on May 10.