Supervisors split on private‑burial permits; several family‑cemetery requests decided
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Summary
The Board considered multiple special-use permits for private family cemeteries and a private cemetery request in Red Lake; after public testimony the board denied one request earlier but later approved a separate family-cemetery request and another related special-use application.
The Board of Supervisors heard multiple requests April 7 to permit private family burial on rural parcels and acted on at least two applications after public hearings and staff briefings.
A special-use permit request for a private cemetery in the Red Lake vicinity (item 58) was denied at the hearing after commissioners and neighbors expressed concerns and the applicant was not present at the Planning & Zoning meeting. Speakers who supported burial on private property said the intent was a single-family interment on large acreage; opponents raised zoning and parcel-size concerns. The Planning & Zoning Commission had recommended denial by unanimous vote; the Board followed that recommendation and denied the request.
Separately, the board considered a family-cemetery request on a roughly 49.5-acre parcel (item 64). Applicants told the board the property is a family heritage parcel and that a co-owner on hospice wished to be buried there. Staff explained that county rules allow cemeteries by special use permit but that many recent approvals involved larger acreage; commissioners had previously denied the application at the Planning & Zoning level in the absence of the applicant. Board members debated the implications (subdivision density, environmental-health rules such as setbacks and burial-depth requirements, and the recordation of cemetery designations). After a motion and a brief reconsideration earlier in the meeting, the board ultimately approved the family-cemetery permit for the property.
County staff reminded the board that the zoning ordinance permits cemeteries in some zones and allows others by special-use permit; staff also noted public-health rules and local setbacks apply and that historical approvals have tended to be for larger lots than some applicants had.
Why it matters: Private and family cemeteries raise land‑use, public‑health and long‑term property‑title questions (future owners, recording, and maintenance). The board balanced individual end‑of‑life requests against zoning standards and Planning & Zoning recommendations.
What's next: Applicants who received approvals must comply with environmental‑health requirements and the county will record any necessary permits and conditions; applicants denied by the board were advised of appeal and resubmission options.
