Oldham County board approves pet crematorium permit and 15‑ft setback variance for La Grange site

The Oldham County Board of Adjustments on April 16 approved a conditional use permit and a 15‑foot building setback variance allowing Legacy Pet Services LLC to operate a Pet Passages pet crematorium at 1060 DW Griffith Lane in La Grange.

Planner John Hine told the board the property is zoned IPD (industrial park district), the site is about 1 acre, and county zoning requires a conditional use for crematories; the ordinance also sets a 30‑foot setback specific to that conditional use. The building on the lot already sits 15 feet from the property line, prompting the company’s request for a 15‑ft variance.

Attorney Neil Sier, representing the petitioner, said the operation would be fully enclosed inside the existing building with cremation equipment installed indoors and only a roof stack extending above the roofline. He told the board the franchise model is a low‑impact, low‑traffic service coordinated with veterinary clinics and that the equipment is designed for companion animals only. Operator Roland Scott Le (testifying for the operator) confirmed the equipment cannot handle large livestock and said the business anticipates returning remains within two to three days in typical cases.

Board members pressed the applicant on potential off‑site impacts. Sier and the operator pledged that operations would be confined to the building, that there would be no outdoor processing or storage, and that the stack’s emissions would not produce visible smoke or offensive odors. The applicant agreed to conditions limiting operations to small animals, prohibiting outdoor activity and storage, and restricting exterior noise to typical building operations.

Following discussion, a motion to approve the conditional use permit carried. The board then separately approved the 15‑ft building setback variance, with the same limitation that the variance apply only to the plan heard at the April 16 public hearing and on the basis that strict application of the rule would deprive the applicant of reasonable use of the land given the building’s existing placement.

What happens next: The approvals are conditioned on the representations made at the hearing and on obtaining any required building permits and inspections. The board recorded the approvals during the April 16 meeting; implementation will proceed after the applicant secures permits and complies with the stated conditions.

Sources: Staff report by John Hine and testimony from attorney Neil Sier and operator Roland Scott Le at the Oldham County Board of Adjustments and Appeals public hearing, April 16, 2026.