Amid Outcry, Poole Seeks Another Location For Crematory

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After weeks of collective push back from residents against a plan to build a funeral home with a crematorium in Towne Lake, the Cherokee County Commissioner behind the proposal is changing course.

Brian Poole, who represents District 3 on the commission, said he is currently seeking other locations for the crematory component of the business, which would have been situated at the corner of Rose Creek and Eagle Drive. He still plans to build the 12,000-square-foot funeral home at the location.

“We’ve got several different places we are looking at,” he said, adding those places are on both the southern and northern end of the county.

When word got out of the commissioner’s business venture, residents in Towne Lake moved swiftly to embark on a social media campaign to raise awareness about the plan and their opposition. They’ve publicized their cause on the Heads Up Woodstock – Neighbors Against Poole Funeral Home and Crematory Facebook page. They’ve also created a fund to raise money for possible legal counsel.

• RELATED: Towne Lake Residents Fight Proposed Funeral Home, Crematorium

The backlash, according to Poole, ”absolutely shocked” him.

“I never dreamed in a million years that something we’re trying to do like this would get this kind of backlash, especially for a funeral home with a crematory,” he added.

Poole also contended no one even got a chance to learn about his venture. He noted he is planning to implement a program where veterans can have a “dignified service.”

For homeless veterans, he said he wanted to ensure they receive a proper burial “if we can get in touch with their families.” If not, Poole said the funeral home would explore the option of having the veterans buried at the Georgia National Cemetery.

The generosity doesn’t end there, he said. For families who’ve lost a baby, Poole said the funeral will not charge the families to utilize their services, something he said he believed the community would have appreciated.

While the news is “positive,” it doesn’t end the campaign of the Heads Up Woodstock organization, the group said. In a press release issued on Monday, Heads Up Woodstock said Poole’s decision ”does not change the Towne Lake and Woodstock community’s position.”

“We do not want a crematory and funeral home at the Eagle Drive/Rose Creek location now, or ever,” the group said in its press release.

The group contends the funeral homes with crematories contribute to either stagnating or plummeting home values and ”emissions from crematories are toxic and could pose health risks to individuals in nearby neighborhoods, churches, and schools.”

They also point to funeral processions as likely to create traffic delays at the busy intersection.

Using the location for a funeral home also “exploits the senior demographics of the adjacent memory care facility and retirement community across Eagle Drive,” the group said.

The property is split-zoned with general commercial and neighborhood commercial. Both zoning categories designate funeral homes as permitted uses.

Members of the organization are planning to attend the Cherokee County Commission’s meeting at 6 p.m. July 7 to voice their concerns. That meeting will be held at the County Administration Building, which is at 1130 Bluffs Parkway in Canton.

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Photo credit: Heads Up Woodstock – Neighbors Against Poole Funeral Home and Crematory Facebook page