Decision postponed on proposed Athens pet crematory

Published 10:00 pm Tuesday, February 21, 2017

By Jean Cole

More than 85 people turned out Tuesday night for an Athens Planning Commission public hearing on a Limestone County man’s request to move his pet crematory inside the city limits.

After about two hours, commissioners voted unanimously to postpone a decision on the matter until their next meeting on March 21 so the Alabama Department of Environmental Management could conduct air quality testing at the existing crematory while it is operating.

Paws Memorial Services, of 15707 Quinn Road, Athens, is seeking a conditional-use permit from the city to move its operations to the Tennessee Valley Wholesalers building, a former plumbing and electrical supply, at 1500 U.S. 72 West, at the corner of Brownsferry Street.

Numerous residents living in the area spoke Tuesday night against granting the conditional-use permit for the crematory. Those against were worried about the possible dangers of emissions and particulates from burned animal remains as well as the possible loss of property value if such an establishment were to locate near their properties.

Billy Sickler and his wife, Erica, who operate the crematory, bought the warehouse property in order to expand their business by adding a fifth incinerator and to be more visible.

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City Planner Mac Martin said the city recommended the granting of the conditional-use permit but with 10 conditions. Among them, that the business add no more than eight incinerators before it must get further approval; that it cremate only dead pets from either individuals or veterinary, shelters or animal hospitals and not road kill (which the crematory does not do anyway); and that all cremains be removed from the property and either buried at the Quinn Road site or given to the pet owners and not buried on the property.

The meeting was ongoing at press time Tuesday night. For more details, including what individuals said during the hearing, visit enewscourier.com on Wednesday afternoon or see Thursday’s print edition.

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