Barry Henderson, owner of Henderson & Sons Funeral Home and the county coroner, wants to build a funeral home and crematory on a 12.5-acre tract at 4900 Martha Berry Highway. Henderson said interest in cremation is on the rise locally, and “if we take care of these things ourselves, we’re not turning them over to anyone else” outside the county.
The firm of Miller and Richards Funeral Home and Cremation also is on the bandwagon, with an application to add a crematory at its 2542 Shorter Ave. facility slated to go before the Rome-Floyd County Planning Commission next week.
According to the Cremation Association of North America, cremation was chosen in nearly 37 percent of deaths nationally in 2009. Henderson said the rate isn’t as high in Georgia but he’s seen demand rise to 23 percent from 19 percent in the past two years.
The planning commission, which makes recommendations to elected officials, will have a public hearing on the Miller & Richards application Oct. 6 at 2:30 p.m. in City Hall, 601 Broad St.
Planning Director Sue Hiller said state law requires stand-alone crematories to be at least 1,000 feet from a platted subdivision, but both applications are for facilities that would be part of a full-service funeral home.
“There’s no problem with that (law), whatsoever,” she said.
The planning commission recommended approval of Henderson’s plans, despite personal objections from several nearby landowners.
The County Commission will decide the issue following another hearing at its Tuesday session.
The board caucuses at 5 p.m. and starts its regular meeting at 6 p.m. in the County Administration Building, 12 E. Fourth Ave.
Air show, water main contract on agenda
During the caucus, representatives from JLC Airshow Management of Kennesaw are scheduled to present plans for an airshow at the county-owned Richard B. Russell Regional Airport next fall.
County Manager Kevin Poe said the company wants a five-year agreement but is not looking for a financial commitment from the county. The Floyd County Airport Commission has recommended approval.
Also on the agenda is consideration of a change-order to the Armuchee Connector contract that would add installation of a water main at the North Floyd Industrial Park. Both projects are funded through the 2009 special purpose, local option sales tax.
Poe said subcontractor Carver & Carver Plumbing, a local company, has agreed to the same pricing structure it offered as the Armuchee Connector low-bidder.
The industrial park project would normally be put out for a separate bid, but there are time constraints in preparing the site for the Lowe’s warehouse and “piggybacking” off an existing contract is an option that would speed the process, he said.
Click here to see the County Commission agenda.
Click here to see the location of the Planning Commission meeting.
Click here to see the proposed location of the Henderson crematory.
Click here to see the proposed location of the Oaknoll crematory.
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