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Applicant for family burial plot told to secure Board of Health signoffs; public hearing continued
Summary
Alan W. Feeney requested permission for a small family cemetery at 2 Feeney Road; the Holyoke Board of Health told the committee the applicant must obtain MassDEP, conservation commission and Board of Health written approvals before burials can proceed. The public hearing was continued to April 8.
The DGR Committee heard March 11 from Alan W. Feeney, who applied for a special permit to establish a small family burial plot at 2 Feeney Road in Holyoke. Feeney said the proposed site is a 30‑by‑50‑foot clearing on pastureland he owns adjacent to the parcel and that he plans space for roughly five to six plots.
The committee read a written communication from the Holyoke Board of Health detailing technical requirements that must be met before burials can proceed. The Board of Health message stated, in part, that the applicant will need MassDEP approval, conservation commission approval and a "final written approval from the local Board of Health." The Board of Health itemized specific submittals it requires: two copies of site plans, type of burial, number of plots, contact information for a licensed soil evaluator, setbacks from edible produce and nearby surface water, depth of burial, estimated seasonal high groundwater, separation distance from burial bottom to groundwater, and elevations and slope. The Board suggested the committee continue the application until the applicant obtains the Board of Health’s written approval.
Feeney told the committee he intends to perform a percolation (perk) test once frost and seasonal ground conditions permit and to submit required engineering and soil‑evaluation documentation thereafter. He said the site would not be publicly accessible without trespassing, that he owns the adjoining Westfield property that provides access, and that the plot would be on a pasture that is not farmed.
Committee members asked Feeney for more details: a marked sketch or photos showing the exact location and boundaries, a clearer estimate of the number of plots (Feeney estimated about five to six), and documentation of access and privacy. Councilor Bartley and others recommended tabling or continuing the hearing until the applicant obtains the Board of Health’s written approval and can provide the additional site plans and technical submittals.
The committee voted to continue the public hearing to the April 8 DGR meeting to allow Feeney to complete a perk test when ground conditions allow and to supply the Board of Health’s written signoff and required plans.
No votes on the permit were taken at the March 11 meeting.
