BALTIMORE — How would you feel if a funeral home wanted to perform cremations in your community?
That's a question neighbors in North Baltimore are facing; a local funeral home wants to add one to its York Road location.
"I work at Govans Elementary School, which is one of the big reasons why I'm so concerned about what is happening here," said Sandi McFadden, a neighbor who attended a Wednesday night meeting to discuss the proposal.
McFadden explained to WMAR her concern with the material which would be released by the crematory, and its impact on neighbors and kids.
Neighbors showed up early to the meeting to post signs across the room at Govans Presbyterian Church; donning yellow, the same color as their signs which read "No Human Crematorium in Govans."
The Vaughn Greene Funeral Home wants to build a crematory at its location in North Baltimore, not too far from the church. The Maryland Department of the Environment hosted the meeting to update the public on the process.
Following court battles over the last few years, MDE will review the funeral home's application, and if it meets air quality standards, will have a public hearing presenting its findings.
"I think the most important thing is, we need the Maryland Department of Enviroment to understand that this is a community that really cares about its residents," McFadden told WMAR, "about its children its families the schools. All of these things, we feel, will be greatly impacted."
At the Wednesday meeting, which had a less formal format, folks lined up to tell MDE how much they oppose the project.
"I think folks are really worried about the human health concerns, the equity concerns," said Mark Conway, who represents that district on the Baltimore City Council.
Conway told reporters he asked the home to consider another location; the home told him this is what they need to do to meet their need.
"They're looking at industry trends. We're seeing more people want to be cremated, and I appreciate that, and I think everybody here appreciates that is where the industry is going, and we support the need for a crematory. We just don't think it needs to be in the middle of Baltimore City, in a dense neighborhood," Conway continued.
Representatives of the funeral home were in attendance, but when WMAR asked them for a comment, they said they did not have one.
