No funeral home in my back yard: Surrey residents oppose crematorium

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A crematorium doesn't belong in a residential area, say a group of Surrey residents.

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Concerned that a proposal for a large funeral hall and crematorium appears to be making progress in an area where housing will be built, neighbors have launched a petition calling on the city council to reject it.

“Nobody is against building a crematorium in the city. We know we need one. “But why this place?” said Surj Sandher, who lives near the proposed development site on 168 Street, opposite Tynehead Regional Park.

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Surrey's Anniedale-Tynehead neighborhood is set to undergo massive changes over the next few decades, which could eventually result in 30,000 people living in the area where Highway 1 meets 176 Street. In October, city staff recommended that the City Council reject a request for an official community plan amendment that would allow the construction of a large funeral facility and crematorium on a 12-acre site called a “suburban cluster.”

“While staff recognizes the need for a funeral facility in the city, staff believes there are more suitable locations in the city that would be suitable for this type of use, consistent with approved land use plans and located outside of flood plains. says an employee report.

The council voted to send the plan back to staff to “work with the applicant to address the negative impacts of runoff displacement in the 200-year floodplain, parking issues and the placement of the building,” according to a statement from the City of Surrey. “Since then, the applicant has been working to address these issues.”

The developer behind the project is Five Rivers Community Services Society, which operates Riverside Funeral Home in Delta. Postmedia reached out to the funeral home but did not receive a response by deadline.

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Monica Matsi said she was surprised when she recently received a flyer informing her of a planning application for a crematorium across the street. The flyer was distributed to homes near the proposed location, but not in the wider neighborhood.

Last week, she went door-to-door to inform her neighbors and also took fliers to the regional park to hand out to walkers and joggers, as well as those who came to watch the salmon spawn in the stream.

“I was worried about the salmon issue,” she said, citing studies that have shown crematoriums can be a source of harmful emissions.

Sandher said the city should prioritize housing for residents over a crematorium, which logically belongs in a commercial or industrial area. Approving development in the flood plain also raises a number of issues, including increased flood risk for other properties, he said.

Raj Khatar said there are already traffic concerns on Road 168. The facility would accommodate hundreds of cars every day, potentially causing parking issues.

He said the petition had garnered 1,500 signatures in a short period of time and there was a “mass wave” of people opposed to the project.

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In its statement, the city said the applicant was planning a community meeting early in the new year. A date for returning the project to the City Council has not yet been set, but the rezoning request will require a public hearing if the City Council decides to move forward with the project at that time.

Surrey Coun. Linda Annis said she has met with several neighbors and shares concerns about traffic and the appropriateness of a crematorium in a residential neighborhood. But she also recognized the need for a large funeral facility in Surrey.

Coun. Gordon Hepner said he expects the city council to listen to public input, but so far he is “not a supporter and believes other areas would be better suited.”

Coun. Doug Elford said he would not comment before the public hearing and was “still undecided.”

There are currently 50 crematoria in BC overseen by Consumer Protection BC, which regulates and licenses them under state law.

When a company applies for a crematorium license, Consumer Protection ensures that the equipment meets the manufacturer's specifications. Concerns about waste or emissions are the responsibility of the local government or the Department of the Environment.

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There have been media reports in the past about a shortage of crematoriums in some parts of British Columbia, such as Prince Rupert, as well as local funeral homes sending bodies to the United States for cremation.

While the laws do not address the number of crematoriums in British Columbia, “we are not hearing from consumers generally about a shortage of crematoriums in British Columbia or the Greater Vancouver area in particular,” a consumer protection spokesperson said.

gluymes@postmedia.com

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