New Crematorium In Skokie Seeks Special Use Permit

SKOKIE, IL — Plan commissioners are due to consider a request for a special use permit allowing a crematorium to operate in a Skokie warehouse.

Big Tuna Cremation Property LLC/Caring Cremations has requested permission to offer crematory services with only seven off-street parking spaces, as opposed to the 16 required.

Zoned for industrial use, the 0.17-acre property at 7309 Monticello Ave. is currently being used as a warehouse for KBK Tool Manufacturing.

Joey Carr, a consultant for the applicants, said the business will start by performing two cremations a day, with plans to ramp that up to six a day at some point in the future.

"As it is a crematory and not a funeral home, it will mostly be staffed by one to two people at all time," Carr said in a statement submitted to village staff ahead of Thursday's Plan Commission meeting.

"The character of the neighborhood will not be affected by this use as it is surrounded by other warehouse buildings and there is another Crematory on Lawndale approximately 0.2 miles away," he added.

Visitors would only be on site twice a month, at most, with attendance at witnessed cremations limited to a handful of people, according to village staff, who recommended approving the application with a limit of five non-employees at the site at any given time.