It took a community to prevent a crematorium
It is a scientific fact that crematoriums release toxic particulates affecting air quality in and near the areas they operate. A crematorium should never be placed or operate near people. The funeral and cremation industry is a multibillion-dollar industry. And, so, over eight communities in Santa Fe County recently came to be in a position to oppose the placement of a crematorium in the Saleh division development plat.
Those eight-plus villages include: Desert Sage, Mission Viejo, Oshara Village, Pueblos del Sol, Carlos Rey del Sur, Villas di Toscana, La Pradera, Park Plazas, Rancho Viejo and residential areas now under construction nearby. Most of these villages are within or less than half a mile of the proposed crematorium.
Developers are only required to notify residents within 500 feet of any proposed development in the county. Subsequently, almost no one in the villages we contacted was aware. Without a targeted, coordinated effort to raise awareness, the crematorium would have been built unopposed.
A small cadre of neighbors began a door-to-door campaign to raise awareness. This effort resulted in a media strategist offering the building of a website and expertise to aid in stopping the crematorium. Highly factual and accessible, this website quickly educated many residents, resulting in more than 450 individuals and households registering their opposition. Media coverage on television and in newspapers helped spread the word and increased the number of residents involved and active. Meetings with Santa Fe County helped educate us, and we learned the hurdles we faced to stop the crematorium effort.
We know the approval has three steps: review by a county hearing officer who makes recommendations to Santa Fe planning commissioners, and then when approved, on to the Santa Fe County commissioners for final approval. While that may sound like a long process, it is quick when late awareness slows communities becoming active and effective in opposition.
The more we spread the word to shocked communities, the more the word was spread person to person. These efforts surfaced excellent expertise, input, and a willingness to come forward and speak on behalf of the communities. We found speakers: a nuclear engineer, a hazardous waste program manager from the Department of Health, a retired architect with considerable planning knowledge and a environmental scientist/geologist from Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Clearly we were ready. As of Oct. 19, the Saleh development moved forward to the County Commission for final approval. The Planning Commission voted to move the plan forward with conditions, and we thank them for doing so.
Conditions included No. 19: Crematoriums will permanently be prohibited on this Saleh property. This shall be noted on the conceptual plan and on the subdivision plats.
Final approval will be heard by Santa Fe County commissioners in November or December. We have every indication that the county commissioners will support the recommendation, permanently preventing the building of a crematorium in the Saleh division. Sincere gratitude to all who walked door to door, created a website, signed petitions, spoke to the media, met with county officials, came to hearings to testify, and most of all, never gave up.