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Montrose County schedules public hearing for pet-cremation permit amid concerns about odor, water use and ash disposal
Summary
Montrose County will hold a public hearing after planning staff presented a special-use permit request to add cremation services to an existing veterinary clinic; commissioners raised questions about odors on windy days, water use, ash disposal in Delta County and inspection frequency.
Montrose County officials scheduled a public hearing Wednesday on a special-use permit application from Western Slope Cremation to add pet-cremation services at an existing veterinary clinic off 6075 Road, south of Falcon.
Planning and Development staff said the planning commission recommended approval with multiple conditions and that the applicant has revised its proposal following two planning commission sessions. "Once you add cremation services, it's required to get a special use permit," a planning staff member said, explaining why the county review is necessary.
The permit has drawn questions from commissioners about neighbor impacts. One commissioner pressed staff on whether the county could impose operational limits tied to weather, asking about the effects of wind on emissions. "The smell," the planner acknowledged when discussing odor concerns during windy days, and added the issue should be covered during the public hearing.
Commissioners also asked about water use and ash disposal. Planning staff said the applicant's plan is to dispose of cremation ash on the applicant's property in Delta County, not on site in Montrose County, and noted that approval conditions would bind the operator to the site plan narrative and supplemental documents on the record. The planner said inspections are handled by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) with a delegated inspection cycle of roughly every three to five years plus random audits.
The county will hear public comment at the scheduled hearing, when staff said they will present the permit conditions included in the staff report and commissioners can determine whether additional limits are needed. The planning staff noted that earlier public comment was received before the planning commission meetings and that the commission attached conditions intended to address neighborhood concerns.
The board did not take a final vote at the work session; it set the item for further consideration at the public hearing.
The planning staff report and the planning commission’s conditions will be presented at the hearing, and commissioners indicated they plan to discuss specific parameters related to odor, water use and disposal practices then.
