(3/23) The township is drafting an ordinance that will establish rules for burying bodies on private property, according to Township Supervisor Coleen Reamer. The issue surfaced late last year when a resident buried a relative on a quarter-acre residential lot. He did not use a vault, nor have the body embalmed. This resident originally set aside room for approximately 20 burial lots. The area was illuminated by solar lights that adjoining neighbors compared to Friday night football field lights at the high school.
That issue was quickly resolved when supervisors learned the lot was in a zoning district that prohibits cemeteries. The body was exhumed and township leaders started work on preventing similar issues in the future.
Public cemeteries are only allowed on lots zoned for land conservation, agriculture, or open space. The proposed ordinance states bodies must be placed in a vault, even if they are cremated, Reamer said. If the ordinance passes as currently written, the property owner must provide public access to the gravesite and secure funds for the site’s perpetual care. The public access and perpetual care funds must continue after the property changes hands if the body is still located on the land, Reamer said. The proposal states anyone who wants to bury a body must also inform the township and prove compliance with the law.
Reamer said the cemetery ordinance will likely be advertised in April for public comment. The township is also drafting an ordinance that sets rules for tent and recreational vehicle campsites.
The proposal states Hamiltonban property owners who wish to host campers must provide water and sewage
"It is one thing to put a camper out there and tell people they can say, it is another thing if they are dumping their sewage on the land," Reamer said.
The property owner or a designee must also be nearby in case of emergency, the proposal states. Like the cemetery ordinance, township leaders hope to advertise the camping ordinance in April.
In other news…
The Hamiltonban supervisors recently appointed Ryan Picarelli to its board. Picarelli replaces David Bradley Martin, who resigned. His term ends December 2023 and he is seeking the Republican nomination for his current seat in the May Primary Election.
The township is completing phase three of its community park, Reamer said. The township began constructing the park in 2017 after several years of planning. The newest additions will include a paved parking lot, a pergola, additional water lines, and an extended walking path.
Reamer invites township residents to the park for Kite Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., April 22.
