The Planning & Zoning Commission on Oct. 9 recommended approval of a special-use permit for a pet cemetery limited to use of cremated remains on a 4.4-acre A-1 property along South U.S. Highway 301 near Summerfield, with an explicit waiver of the county requirement to connect to central sewer.

Planner Sarah Wells presented the application and noted the parcel sits outside the urban growth boundary and is currently vacant and classified as agricultural production. The proposed cemetery includes a roughly 900-square-foot office, parking, scattering gardens, memorial statuary for cremated remains, a gazebo and walking paths. The applicant proposed development in two phases and requested modified buffers along multiple property lines (north, northeast, east, south), including a hedgerow in place of a wall adjacent to one neighbor; staff recommended approval with conditions but noted Marion County Utilities required connection to the central sewer if the office generated commercial wastewater.

Wells said utilities commented that a sewer tap is immediately available on the west side of U.S. 301 but that crossing the highway to connect would be “cost prohibitive,” and the applicant submitted a quote of about $98,400 for the crossing. The applicant requested a waiver from the central sewer hookup so the office would use an on-site septic system. The applicant’s attorney, James Hartley (Gooding and Botzel/Gooding and Vatsil in the record), confirmed the application would provide the memorial services and free service-animal memorials for veterans and police K-9s.

Commissioner Andy Bonner moved to recommend approval of the special-use permit with staff conditions except for deletion of the sewer-connection requirement (condition 5); Don Johnson seconded and the motion carried. The recommendation and record will go to the Board of County Commissioners for final action on Oct. 20 at 1:30 p.m.

Why it matters: The waiver of central sewer hookup was the key unresolved technical item; granting the waiver allows the project to proceed with on-site septic but leaves detailed permitting and environmental protections to subsequent permitting and review by Marion County Utilities and site-plan review.

Clarifying detail: Staff entered into the record later-filed applicant materials including a cover letter and agent affidavit.