Public hearing set for funeral home rezoning request

On Monday the Elkin Town Board will have a public hearing regarding a rezoning request for a parcel of land at 735 N. Bridge St. that is the site of a proposed new funeral home and crematorium.

Last month several neighbors spoke out in opposition to the rezoning request during the Elkin Planning Board meeting.

The home located on the property, and majority of the parcel in question, is zoned as highway business but the backside portion is zoned for residential. The property is owned by Gary York who has signed documents for Hasten Wall to represent him. Wall is requesting that the back portion of the property be rezoned as highway business. Wall is planning to purchase the property for the purpose of building a funeral home. His plans do include demolition of the home on the property and building a new structure.

During last month's Planning Board meeting, Town Planner Sarah Harris noted that current practices would be for the entire parcel to be the same zoning. She also noted that the portion already zoned as highway business would be available for the purpose of a funeral home. Wall is requesting the rezone for the back portion of the property to be changed to match the highway business designation of the front of the property so it could be used for a parking lot for the proposed funeral home.

Questions that arose from the public comment portion of the Planning Board meeting included how a funeral home might affect neighboring property values, the increase in traffic for the residential neighborhood directly behind the property, and overall suitability for a funeral home in that location.

Neighbor Dave Brendle said, “do we need another funeral home in Elkin when we have two funeral homes, that’s my main concern.”

Brendle also expressed concern about runoff and possible erosion from a parking lot.

Mark Curtis, who said he can see the property from his home nearby, asked if the town had considered how a funeral home would affect the property values of the neighboring homes. He also said it was a “very peaceful neighborhood” and expressed concerns about increased traffic a funeral home would bring to the neighborhood.

Whitney Laws, another neighbor to the property, questioned the location for the project. She said the “whole draw of Elkin was it’s a fun city” with hiking, restaurants etc.

“Having a funeral home is just depressing. . .I don’t necessarily want that in my backyard,” she said.