TOWN OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WIVB) — Although the construction of funeral homes combined with crematories has been outlawed in New York, a grandfathered facility still exists in the Town of Tonawanda, and locals don’t want to see it near them anymore.
Currently, there’s a bill awaiting approval from Gov. Kathy Hochul to force the Sheridan Park Crematory, which exists along with Amigone Funeral Home at 2600 Sheridan Drive, to move.
This follows legislation passed in 2021 that said Amigone could move to a non-residential area.
Assemblyman Bill Conrad, who represents the town, says his office receives frequent complaints about the facility’s noise and odor. There have also been reports of human ashes ending up in people’s yards.
“Their legal team said they couldn’t,” Conrad said. “Our legal team said they could…If I lived in that neighborhood, I wouldn’t want it there.”
Conrad joined us on News 4 Wednesday afternoon.
Previously, the Sheridan Park Crematory had been shut down from 2012 to 2018 for violating clean air laws. And it was shut down again for four months, starting in September 2020. In January 2021, it was allowed by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to resume operations.
The bill, if signed by Hochul, would give the crematory 180 days to either shut down or move. Amigone, which is a separate business according to the funeral home’s president, would continue to operate regardless.
Evan Anstey is an Associated Press Award, JANY Award and Emmy-nominated digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2015. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.