Mint Hill approves funeral home rezoning

MINT HILL – Town commissioners approved a rezoning April 11 that will allow a funeral home to be built on nearly five acres at 7844 McWhirter Road after hearing from a procession of neighbors weighing in on the project. 

Commissioner Dale Dalton said McEwen Funeral Home could have developed on the property by right and later applied for rezoning to get the additional parking. Dalton also recalled how a company once approached the town about building a large retail distribution center in that same spot. 

“By doing it the way they've done it, you have gotten a lot of things that you asked for as far as the building

reversing the drives and all,” Dalton told residents. “So I think they've done a very good job and I think you'll be a lot happier with what's going to be there than what could have been there.”

Some neighbors, like Bill Sagues and Ken Whelpton, supported the project. 

Sagues said a funeral home doesn’t pose traffic concerns compared to other types of businesses, based on what he’s seen at McEwen’s current location at 7428 Matthews-Mint Hill Road.

Whelpton said the McWhirter Road property had been vacant for some time and neighbors knew something was going to go there. He thinks the funeral home represents the best deal as it has agreed to change access as well as put in a water retention pond and fencing. 

Planning Director John Hoard said the rezoning request fit with the land use plan, which notes the property was suitable for commercial development. The Mint Hill Planning Board also recommended approval. 

Mike Vance said the neighborhood gathered nearly 80 signatures of people opposed to the rezoning and when they learned commissioners preferred neighbors voice their concerns at meetings instead, several people spoke against the project. Concerns included the funeral home potentially reducing their property values and tying up traffic.

Vance said it didn’t make sense to have a community meeting before the zoning application is filed. He said several changes were made since that meeting and working with the public would have resulted in a win-win.

DJ Spiker said he doesn’t understand how a company can build an 8,800-square-foot building with 112 parking spaces in front of a neighborhood without being required to make any road improvements. 

The petitioner agreed to no vehicular connections to McWhirter Road and that the funeral home would not do any embalming or cremation on site.