Neighbors urge council to block St. John's cemetery rezoning, citing code and watershed risks

Residents adjacent to the proposed St. John's cemetery told Dublin City Council on Sept. 28 they oppose the zoning change and asked officials to uphold existing local rules. Judy Yoder said the neighborhood collected more than 250 signatures opposing the plan and that the parcel is just 10.8 acres, while Dublin's code requires a 40-acre minimum for new cemeteries.

"So Saint John wants to come and put in a cemetery," Judy Yoder said, adding that "this is a 10.8 acre plot" and warning that the site sits in a floodplain and within watershed areas the city has committed to protect. Other speakers, including Bill Yoder and Marjorie Parr, cited potential contamination of wells and streams, the proximity of burials to nearby homes and parks, and concerns about traffic and long-term effects on property values. Dave Kettlehake told council that state law also restricts new cemeteries within 100 yards of a dwelling without the owner's permission and said some adjacent homeowners will not grant that permission.

Speakers asked council to remand the proposal to planning and zoning for a full, formal review rather than rely on earlier informal feedback. Several residents pointed to the Envision Dublin community plan and recorded affidavits that, they said, designated the area for residential development; one resident explicitly asked council to enforce zoning ordinances and the city's concept-plan review process. The council did not act on the rezoning request at the meeting; staff said planning director Ginny Delgado would be available to answer follow-up questions and provide additional materials to residents.