Planning commission recommends approval for Pet Memories cremation business; item goes to council Jan. 28

The Woodbury Planning Commission on Jan. 12 recommended approval of a conditional use permit for Pet Memories Cremation, an aquamation (water‑based) pet cremation business proposed for 2357 Ventura Drive.

Planner Dan summarized the application from Jay Wade Jackson, saying the business would occupy about 2,875 square feet of a 35,000 square‑foot industrial building. The applicant identified the aquamation unit as holding 47 gallons of water; staff estimated initial operations would run about two to three times per week for the first six months and could increase to about once per day as the business grows. Staff recommended approval subject to the conditions in the staff report.

The applicant, Wade Jackson, told the commission the aquamation process does not produce an offensive odor. "There's no odor whatsoever," Jackson said, and described the discharge as effectively neutralized before it leaves the machine. Jackson said the effluent is typically near neutral pH and that, while some jurisdictions reuse such discharge for agricultural irrigation, that is not the applicant's plan here.

Commissioners asked whether the same permitting would apply to human cremation and whether local or regional wastewater approvals were required. Staff said the proposal is processed as a conditional use permit for a pet cremation use and noted that the Met Council handles industrial discharge permitting in the region. Jackson said he is a licensed funeral director and that, although Minnesota does not specifically regulate pet crematories, he intends to operate to human‑care standards, including maintaining logs and refrigeration. "We will have a refrigeration system so that if we have a pet that is going to be the day before, that pet will be in refrigeration, just like a funeral home," he said.

Commissioners also probed noise and throughput. Jackson described the equipment as "very quiet," likening it to a large commercial dishwasher, and said aquamation runs typically take about five to six hours. He said the service will be appointment‑based and that the business anticipates much of its early work to be business‑to‑business with local veterinary clinics.

Commissioner Stephanie Swanson moved to approve project number 18-2025-00599 with the conditions stated in the staff report; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote of the commissioners present. Staff confirmed the item will be forwarded to the City Council consent agenda for the Jan. 28, 2026 meeting for public notice and final council review.

What happens next: the planning commission recommendation will be transmitted to City Council for its public meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, where council members will take final action or hold further public comment.