Visit The Arizona Daily Star to read an excellent article outlining the issues that the residents living near the proposed crematorium face. Our complements to Larry and Brenda Ryan for keeping this issue on the "front burner".
A good job of reporting, however, the public needs to know how this land use was "approved" by TOV. Under the Zoning code, the following definition is listed in Ch. 31: "#141 Funeral home: An establishment with facilities for the PREPARATION of the dead for burial or cremation, for the viewing of the body, and for funerals." Also defined is "#22: Analogous Use: Shall mean any use which is substantially similar to the permitted uses. Analogous uses shall not be any more deleterious, obnoxious, or harmful in terms of traffic generation, use impacts, and types of activities involved. Example: Ballet studio analogous to dance studio." THEIR WORDS, NOT MINE! I think most of us can understand the dance studio/ballet studio analogy...HOW IN THE WORLD IS THE INDUSTRIAL BURNING OF BODIES ANALOGOUS TO "PREPARING" THEM FOR BURIAL OR CREMATION? DOES THIS MEAN THAT A CEMETERY WOULD BE PERMITTED AS ANALOGOUS USE, ALSO, BECAUSE BODIES ARE "PREPARED" FOR "BURIAL" AT A FUNERAL HOME? The TOV gives power to the Director of Zoning and Planning (though that paid employee is NOT an attorney, and has sole responsibility in making this determination)to determine that another use is an ANALOGOUS USE to the permitted land use. Such a determination was made by Mr. Brent Sinclair before he left his position w/ TOV in early 2006, and the OV Town Council says it is a done deal and they have no power to reverse that decision, saying that "funeral home" is a permitted use under the TOV C-1 zoning code, and that their sole responsiblilty now rests with making sure design and building codes are met. I would ask non-affected Tucson citizens to understand that we are dealing with important zoning issues here and hoping to protect our interests in the further development in Rancho Vistoso. We chose to live in a community with development restrictions, and now we are seeing those restrictions manipulated without any recourse!
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A good job of reporting, however, the public needs to know how this land use was "approved" by TOV. Under the Zoning code, the following definition is listed in Ch. 31: "#141 Funeral home: An establishment with facilities for the PREPARATION of the dead for burial or cremation, for the viewing of the body, and for funerals." Also defined is "#22: Analogous Use: Shall mean any use which is substantially similar to the permitted uses. Analogous uses shall not be any more deleterious, obnoxious, or harmful in terms of traffic generation, use impacts, and types of activities involved. Example: Ballet studio analogous to dance studio." THEIR WORDS, NOT MINE! I think most of us can understand the dance studio/ballet studio analogy...HOW IN THE WORLD IS THE INDUSTRIAL BURNING OF BODIES ANALOGOUS TO "PREPARING" THEM FOR BURIAL OR CREMATION? DOES THIS MEAN THAT A CEMETERY WOULD BE PERMITTED AS ANALOGOUS USE, ALSO, BECAUSE BODIES ARE "PREPARED" FOR "BURIAL" AT A FUNERAL HOME? The TOV gives power to the Director of Zoning and Planning (though that paid employee is NOT an attorney, and has sole responsibility in making this determination)to determine that another use is an ANALOGOUS USE to the permitted land use. Such a determination was made by Mr. Brent Sinclair before he left his position w/ TOV in early 2006, and the OV Town Council says it is a done deal and they have no power to reverse that decision, saying that "funeral home" is a permitted use under the TOV C-1 zoning code, and that their sole responsiblilty now rests with making sure design and building codes are met.
I would ask non-affected Tucson citizens to understand that we are dealing with important zoning issues here and hoping to protect our interests in the further development in Rancho Vistoso. We chose to live in a community with development restrictions, and now we are seeing those restrictions manipulated without any recourse!
Exactly Dawnelle!
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