Gwinnett panel denies Tucker crematory plan

By Shane Blatt

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A proposed crematory in Tucker hit a roadblock Wednesday night, when the Gwinnett County planning commission issued a recommendation against the facility near scores of residential homes.

The 4-3 decision, which still needs approval by county commissioners, was met with applause by more than 80 neighborhood residents gathered at the Gwinnett County courthouse in Lawrenceville.

Residents, many of whom held signs saying "NO," turned out in a show of solidarity to oppose a special-use permit that would allow Bill Head Funeral Home to construct the 436-square-foot incinerator at the business on Lawrenceville Highway. The addition would sit about 100 feet from several residences and within a half-mile of 17 subdivisions in the Gwinnett County portion of Tucker.

"The odor will be horrible," Dixie Roberson, who lives within 100 feet of the proposed site, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I'd like to grow my tomatoes without body-part fertilizer."

For weeks, residents have expressed opposition to the proposal, fearing a crematory would lower property values and emit toxins such as mercury. Some experts have said those fears are unfounded.

Gerald Davidson, attorney for Bill Head, was disappointed with Wednesday's outcome, telling a group of reporters that his client wants to relocate an old free-standing crematory in Lilburn to the Tucker site. Davidson said the new facility would be state of the art and wouldn't pose a threat to surrounding communities.

"Look at Gwinnett County," said Davidson, citing crematories in cities such as Buford, Lawrenceville and Lilburn. "They're near neighborhoods or across the street from schools."

That doesn't convince Marc Zayac, who lives about 200 feet from the proposed site.

"It's about quality of life, but it's also about quality of living," Zayac said. "You can make all the claims you like ... but when you burn stuff, there are emissions."

And resident Huifeng Shan said a crematory poses issues from a Chinese cultural standpoint.

"A lot of people living in this area are from Asia," he said. "In Beijing, a crematory would be a joke in a residential neighborhood."

This isn't the first time a crematory has triggered protest in Gwinnett. In 2008, a crematory moved into a Snellville neighborhood, prompting an outcry from residents and a year-long legal battle between the city and business owner. Snellville settled the case but has since outlawed crematories from all zoning districts.

The incident also spurred a state law that prohibits crematories from within 1,000 feet of a subdivision. The law applies only to stand-alone crematories.

On Wednesday night, commissioner Jim Nash cited that law, saying its intent was to attach stand-alone crematories to funeral homes. However, Rebecca Peed, who voted in the majority, cited the facility as "incompatible land use."

In addition to the planning commission's decision, the county's planning department has recommended denial of the application. The issue now goes before county commissioners, who could vote on the matter as early as Nov. 16.