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Issues & Positions
Cemetery - North Livermore Valley
Background
A developer has applied to the county to build a 40-acre cemetary complex on a 110-acre parcel on North Livermore Ave., one-half mile north of I-580. The plan includes an area of high-density cemetary plots, a 20,130 sq. ft. morturary / crematorium / administrative center, a 34,000 sq. ft. mausoleum, and three residences.
FOL Position
Part of this proposal comes tantalizingly close to meeting our criteria for desireable types of projects in North Livermore Valley. A cemetary (1) is not houses, (2) has beneficial use for the people of Livermore, (3) does not burden local infrastructure or city services, (4) does not add to local traffic or pollution, (5) has no involvement with I-580 peak-hour traffic, and (6) can be made to blend well with local geography and scenic aesthetics.
Unfortunately, in this instance the magnitude of the extra baggage above and beyond a basic cemetary gives us pause. The inclusion of a morturary, crematorium, and a mega-scale mausoleum, making this a "one-stop" shopping facility (and potential eyesore), transforms this project from country cemetary to urban business. It is, on multiple counts, in violation of the spirit and the letter of both the North Livermore Urban Growth Boundary Initiative and County Measure D (2000).
Considering the fact that Livermore has capacity in its existing cemeteries for the next 50 years, and that there is no shortage of mortuaries in the valley, we feel that this particular cemetary facility is not needed by Livermore. Moreover, we feel that the large business character of the project is inappropriate for this agricultural area.
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