Bill would tighten crematory location rules

State Sen. Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta, who represents a portion of Cherokee County, has filed a bill that would require all crematories to operate a minimum distance of 2,000 feet from a residential neighborhood. The current limitation is 1,000 feet.

The bill would also eliminate the term “stand-alone” crematory from the Georgia Code, reflecting a change in the industry under which many funeral homes have a crematory on-site.

Beach plans to hold a town hall meeting with residents in the Towne Lake area within the next few weeks to discuss the issue, which has been bubbling up since residents there began speaking out against County Commissioner Brian Poole’s announced plan to build a crematory as part of a funeral home at Eagle and Rose Creek drives.