BEAVER TOWNSHIP Group plans court appeal over panel's denial of permit

Angels for Animals already has a crematory but needs a permit to use it.
By VIRGINIA ROSS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NORTH LIMA -- The Beaver Township Zoning Board of Appeals has once again denied an area organization's request for a conditional-use permit to operate an animal crematory.
After the decision was made during a public hearing Tuesday, Angels for Animals officials told township officials they plan to appeal that decision to Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.
Angels wants to build an animal crematory at its facility on West South Range Road. Earlier this year the zoning appeals board denied the group's request for a permit for the facility after local residents told township officials they are concerned about safety issues and potential health hazards associated with having a crematory in their neighborhood.
Angels officials requested another hearing, telling township officials they had new information and evidence to support their claims that operating a crematory would not cause the public any harm.
The crematory would be used to dispose of animals that have died. Angels now disposes of dead animals by freezing their bodies and giving them to BFI waste collection at night. Diane Less Baird, Angels co-founder, has said the crematory would also be used for private cremation ceremonies, which would allow pet owners to have their animals cremated and then take the ashes home with them.
Already purchased
Although it didn't have a permit to operate the crematory, the organization bought a crematory from a Medina company, using a $38,000 donation from the Lariccia family of Boardman. The organization also started constructing a small building to house the crematory.
Less Baird has said the crematory was custom-made and likely can't be returned.
Meanwhile, Tony Lariccia said if area residents go to court over the permit, he would tell Angels officials not to use his family's donation for the crematory.
At the earlier hearing in March, Less Baird said the only emissions from the crematory would be water vapor and heat. She said Angels has received a permit from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for the crematory.
She also noted a similar crematorium has operated in Struthers for 15 years without receiving any complaints. She also said without a crematory, state regulations give Angels little choice of how to dispose of the bodies.