Planning board forwards family-cemetery special-use permit to county commissioners

The Scotland County Planning Board voted to forward Special Use Permit application 546-26 to the county commission for final approval. The permit seeks permission to create a family cemetery on approximately 28 acres on Stanley Bonar Road in Newhart Hill (Scotland County tax map 326, Block 010, Parcel 41).

Board members discussed a staff-proposed temporary waiver intended to shorten the approval process when an applicant or close relative is on hospice. Staff explained the waiver would allow families to move forward with burial paperwork if a qualifying person dies before the permit completes the normal two-meeting process: "So if he deceased before he went through his 2 meetings, that waiver would give them the okay to go ahead and do the bridal along with the signatures of approval on it," a staff member explained during the hearing. Board members questioned the word "temporary" but said the waiver would still require compliance with planning and zoning rules and noted a $100-per-day fine was listed for noncompliance.

Prior to the vote, the board recorded a conflict-of-interest recusal for John McClane and voted to exclude him from participation or voting on the item. After discussion, a member moved to approve forwarding the special-use permit to the county commission; the motion carried by voice vote.

The application will now go before the county commission for final action. The planning board record and the county review will include the usual site and ordinance checks before any burial may occur.