LARGO - In a record setting meeting for length on one subject, the City Commission, in a vote at 1:15 a.m. Wednesday, rejected the Moss-Feaster funeral home's application to put a crematorium adjacent to a neighborhood.
The 5-1 vote came after an impassioned hearing that brought many citizens to the microphone, including Marty Shelby, a former commissioner, who spoke strongly against the crematorium.
The commission chamber was packed with citizens as well as the neighboring community room and the city hall lobby for most of the evening.
Opposing the idea were Andy Guyette, who made the motion, Mary Black, who added a modification to the motion, Rodney Woods, Gigi Arntzen, and Mayor Pat Gerard.
Only Commissioner Gay Gentry was for putting the crematorium on Wilcox Road. Commissioner Harriet Crozier, who was an employee of the funeral parlor until just days ago, recused herself at the outset, citing a "possible conflict of interest."
Arntzen also had worked for Moss-Feaster but long enough ago to separate her from an apparent conflict of interest.
The crematory question has been around for more than a year.
Controversy surrounded the subject because Moss-Feaster proposed to put the facility, called in an example of extreme euphemism, "Serenity Gardens Central Care Facility."
For those among us who contemplate having our spirit-departed bodies consigned to the extreme temperatures of a furnace, know now that you would have had been ensconced in a "central care facility."
Actually, Crozier's position gave her an opportunity to not suffer the pain of slings and arrows by not voting. After all, part of the funeral home's name is that of a leading Largo citizen, George Feaster, who definitely is a force for good and whose brother, the late Thom Feaster of blessed memory, was mayor of Largo.
Feaster no longer has a direct ownership role in the business. On the other hand, voting for the crematorium was bound to earn enmity for those residents near the facility who vigorously opposed it.
The Planning Board recommended by a 3-2 vote (one abstention) for disapproval of placing the crematorium at the site proposed.
Considerations taken up by the site plan review involved very arcane and complicated legal questions and compatibility with land use codes, etc. Most of which were beyond the grasp of ordinary citizens and scribes.
The recommendation from ranking city staff and the manager was for approval. All safeguards had been instituted against all the negative concerns of citizens, according to the city.
The city manager's memo supporting the crematory agenda item said that all top staff - the manager, assistant city manager, police chief, fire chief, community development director, the assistant community development director, and the planning manager are all aboard with it.
Actually, the memo could be read as a political document for this reason. The manager has plenty of cover.
Even the alternative motions (to approve and disapprove) were loaded with legalistic language to pin down in some sort of exactitude the position of every member of the commission who votes on the issue.
The language - "After carefully considering written and verbal (sic) comments from staff, the applicant, the applicant's witnesses, other witnesses, and the public, all other evidence and the applicable provisions of the city Comprehensive Development Code, I find that the proposed development is consistent (not consistent) with the review criteria set forth in subsection 4004 and section 5200 of the Comprehensive Development Code, therefore, move to approve Serenity Gardens Central Care Facility Site Plan Review."
That motion language - a legal minefield if there ever was one - signals that a lawsuit from some entity may be in the future. In fact, Moss-Feaster had a court reporter there taking it all down.
The defendants, if such a suit materializes, will be the mayor and commissioners.
Guyette followed the formula language in his motion with Black amending it with language that said the commission found the crematorium to be incompatible with the neighborhood, and that it would have a negative impact on the environment and that it would diminish the air quality for the city.
Largo City Hall had received written opposition from residents in the area of Wilcox Road and Mia Circle.
They claim the crematorium is a potential health hazard - they claim there would be emissions of mercury - and that it is not compatible with the surrounding residential area.
They point out that in the immediate area, in addition to homes, are Anona Elementary School, Anona Methodist Church (which has a pre-school), Oak Manor nursing, Sun Coast Hospital, the golf course, and the Southwest Recreation facility.
Moss-Feaster, on the other hand, had kept a low profile, relying on attempting to persuade city officials that what it proposes is proper and safe.