Chester officials consider funeral home crematory request

Some Chester residents living in the city’s historic district are concerned about a rezoning request that would pave the way for a local funeral home to start performing cremations.

City Council members have not yet voted on the proposed rezoning but some officials say the change is needed – whether or not Barron Funeral Home moves forward with its new crematory.

The cremation chamber inside existing buildings on Wylie Street would be the only crematory in the county. The nearest cremation services are in neighboring counties, York and Lancaster.

Some Chester officials say they want Barron’s rezoning request to pass because the business is already operating without the correct zoning. The funeral home – open since around 1939 – sits on land classified for residential use, not commercial.

The rezoning request – given initial approval already from the Chester Planning Commission – seeks to reclassify the land from allowing only residential use to permitting a range of commercial operations.

Mike Shaffer of Barron Funeral Home said he does not know why the business’ zoning has been out of compliance all these years. He and city officials say they only realized the discrepancy after the funeral home asked the city of Chester for a letter confirming they were zoned properly to allow for a crematory.

The business needed that letter to give to state officials who approve such changes or new services for funeral homes. The industry is regulated by the South Carolina Board of Funeral Services. That group provides licenses for funeral homes, organized under the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.

When city officials realized Barron Funeral Home couldn’t build its desired crematory because the business operates on property zoned for residential use, officials started the rezoning process.

Shaffer says Chester officials have been “great to work with” and have been accommodating to the business’ need for a rezoning in order to be compliant with city regulations.

Barron Funeral Home sees a need for cremation services locally and wants to “better serve the people of Chester,” he said. Shaffer told The Herald this week that he did not want to respond to any concerns that some residents have raised about the crematory.

Chester City Administrator Sandi Worthy says she heard concerns from residents about what emissions the Barron crematory might release. Some residents, she said, have asked about by-products or possible air pollution.

Twelve people spoke this week about the crematory at a City Council public hearing, Worthy said. Two council votes on the rezoning request are expected soon.

Dale Cook, the city’s lead zoning and code administrator, said he’s heard some concerns about the crematory through “the grapevine” in Chester but he hasn’t been directly approached.

Barron’s website mentions its crematory, including an option for family members to witness the cremation, for a fee. Cook says the funeral home already owns crematory equipment but that they haven’t started offering cremations yet.

Before the equipment can be installed, Cook said, the business will need approvals from Chester’s historic board because the building is in a historic district. Exhaust equipment on the roof for the crematory will need to be reviewed by the historic properties board.

Barron’s rezoning request has earned unanimous approval from the Planning Commission. Cook said one property – a health department office – beside the funeral home is already zoned for commercial. The Chester County Family Courthouse is also nearby.

A church beside the funeral home sits on land zoned as residential, Cook said. Homes located in Chester’s historic district are located behind the church and the funeral home.

This story was originally published April 17, 2015 at 5:31 PM with the headline "Chester officials consider funeral home crematory request."