Folsom City Council grants appeal, approves Historic District crematory

The Folsom City Council voted 3-2 Tuesday to allow the controversial crematory planned for Lakeside Memorial Cemetery in the Historic District. The Folsom Historic District Commission voted 6-1 in February against the crematory proposed by Lakeside Memorial Cemetery at 1201 Forest St. Lakeside Memorial Cemetery seeks a conditional use permit for a crematory in an existing 1,071-square-foot metal building in the cemetery. "What we're doing is not outside the norm," said applicant Igor Semenyuk of Lakeside Memorial Cemetery.Folsom's only active historic cemetery, Lakeside Memorial Cemetery, is a combination of several old pioneer cemeteries, including the Masonic, Odd Fellows, Jewish, Citizen's and Cook's cemeteries. It is also adjacent to the Chung Wah cemetery to the south, dredge mining tailings to the east, the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area and American River to the west and the Preserve at Lake Natoma Shores subdivision to the north. The commission decided that the crematory will adversely impact the historical character of the existing cemetery and historical use of the area, and would therefore be "detrimental or injurious to property and improvements" in the neighborhood and the general welfare of the city. Semenyuk appealed the decision to City Council. "Anything that can be asserted without evidence can be refuted without evidence," said Semenyuk, who argued the Historic District decision was made with more "feelings" than concrete evidence. The well-attended appeal public hearing began April 26 but was continued to Tuesday, due to a Zoom meeting glitch, potentially turning away speakers. After 10 more speakers Tuesday, a motion by council member Sarah Aquino and seconded by council member Mike Kozlowski to deny the appeal failed 2-3. "This is tremendously subjective," said Aquino. "I just don't think an historic cemetery is an appropriate place." Said Kozlowski, "This is a very difficult public-policy decision. It's difficult to strike a balance." A motion by council member Rosario Rodriguez to approve the appeal, seconded by council member YK Chalamcherla, passed 3-2, following a 10-minute recess. Mayor Kerri Howell provided the swing vote, thus granting the conditional use permit. Before the public hearings, city staff received 30 signed form letters, 35 speakers at the historic commission meeting, 140 unique public comments, plus 650 online and written signatures against the crematory. "We've heard the residents very loud and clear," said Chalamcherla, who noted that funerals now cost roughly $20,000 compared to approximately $1,500 for cremation. "It's unfair to ship our loved ones to other places." Said Rodriguez, "I think this is an ideal place for a crematorium. People still want to live in the area." And Kozlowski said, "We can never put the historic district in a glass dome. Within the Historic District, there isn't a better place." Iron Point Road Apartments In other business, City Council approved a 253-unit market-rate apartment community on two lots totalling 12 acres at the Folsom Corporate Center on the south side of Iron Point Road east of Oak Avenue Parkway. Staff said four professional office buildings have been developed within the Folsom Corporate Center with major tenants including HDR Engineering, Kaiser Permanente, Micron Technology and SAFE Credit Union. City Council voted 4-0-1 (Aquino recused herself) to approve a General Plan amendment, rezoning and planned development permit for the apartments.The council also approved an $588,000 affordable-housing loan for the 75-unit Bidwell Place affordable multifamily project behind the Bank of America on East Bidwell Street.The Folsom Planning Commission approved the Bidwell Place mixed-use project in 2020, staff said. The project is a 75-unit, 100-percent affordable, multi-family, mixed-use project on the 3.24 Bank of America site on East Bidwell between Rumsey Way and Market Street.The development currently under construction includes studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom floor plans, and will serve a mix of extremely low, very low, and low income households, staff said.Earlier that night, City Manager Elaine Anderson unveiled a $102- million proposed 2022-23 fiscal budget, a $9.9-million increase over 2021-22.Staff said 53 requests were made for new positions during the budget process and only 10 percent are filled with the proposal. The initial budget proposal includes 10 new firefighters, a police officer, dispatcher and an animal control worker, staff said.Rising costs have staff concerned about a projected $3.4-million funding gap expected in five years, plus little ability to stay competitive in the region with employee salaries."We are seeing a trend of employees leaving for other agencies," said Folsom Finance Director Stacey Tamagni.