DECATUR, Ga. — A metro Atlanta cemetery has backed off plans to add a crematory.
Timothy Amoui, along with his wife are owners of the Washington Memorial Gardens in Decatur says they plan to move forward only with a rezoning application for a funeral home.
Amoui previously said the nearly 100-year-old cemetery that sits on 35-acres has been owned by his wife’s family since the 1980s.
Neighbors previously expressed concerns about exposure to the chemicals involved in cremation. However, state health officials who oversee crematories said they pose no health risk.
After several meetings with neighbors in the Decatur community, officials say they understand that adding cremation services to the property has been an intense topic.
Out of respect for those concerns, Amoui said he believes the most considerate path is to focus solely on the funeral home.
Funeral and cremation services are heavily regulated by the state and modern crematories are state-of-the-art and have minimal environmental impact.