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Reidsville planners unanimously recommend loosening local crematory rules to allow detached accessory facilities
Summary
The Reidsville Planning Board on Sept. 18 recommended unanimous approval of a zoning text amendment to Article 5, Section 2 (note 33) to allow crematories as enclosed accessory buildings to permitted funeral homes, remove a one-chamber cap, and require a 6-foot buffer where such accessory buildings abut residences.
The Reidsville Planning Board voted unanimously Sept. 18 to recommend adoption of a zoning text amendment that would update note 33 of Article 5, Section 2 to modernize local requirements for crematories.
Planning staff described the proposal as a cleanup and safety improvement to replace outdated, redundant rules that require crematories to be inside the principal funeral-home building. Jason, planning staff, told the board the amended note would allow crematories only as accessory, enclosed structures to permitted funeral homes in the Office and Institutional, General Business and Highway Business districts, require compliance with the North Carolina Crematory Act and state building code, and mandate a continuous buffer of at least 6 feet where an accessory crematory abuts a residential zoning district.
The board’s discussion centered on environmental oversight, the change from requiring a principal-building location to permitting detached accessory structures, and whether to keep or remove the local cap of one cremation chamber.
"Anything related to environmental or air quality is covered by that statement that they must meet the standards," Jason said when asked whether air emissions and permitting were handled by state rules. He and staff explained portions of the local note duplicated the state statute, so staff removed redundant language and retained a requirement that crematories comply with the North Carolina Crematory Act.
Several board members queried how the amendment would affect existing facilities and whether the change would permit multi-chamber crematory operations. Jason clarified the amendment applies to new uses or construction and would not force existing operators to relocate, and he said the ordinance requires the crematory to be accessory to a funeral home (not a standalone commercial crematorium). Regarding the cap on cremation chambers, Jason said staff’s survey of other municipalities found no common local cap and that state regulations and permitting would govern operational safeguards.
A board member moved to recommend approval of the proposed text amendment as presented; the motion was seconded and passed by unanimous voice/hand vote.
The planning staff’s recommendation and the board’s favorable vote send the amendment forward to the next step in the city’s adoption process. The board did not set a binding implementation date; staff noted the amendment would not be retroactive and only apply to future uses or new construction.
The board will transmit its recommendation to the appropriate decision-making body for final action; no timetable for final adoption was given at the meeting.
