Howard County residents outraged over proposal to turn cemetery into gas station

A proposal to rezone land in Elkridge has sparked opposition because part of the site includes a small cemetery known as a burial ground for pets.

The plans were on the agenda for the Howard County Planning Board on Thursday night, where things sometimes got tense between the developer's lawyer and those who came to testify against the plans.

What's being proposed

Corridor Square LLC is trying to rezone nearly four acres of land along Route 1, primarily in and around Rosa Bonheur Memorial Park.

The park is home to a cemetery that's long been the resting place for pets. Some people have been buried there as well, some of whom were buried with their pets in neighboring plots.

If a rezone is approved, the developer wants to build a Sheetz gas station, convenience store, and car wash.

In its petition, Corridor Square contends the property was improperly zoned in 2013, and the plans are "not disturbing the majority of the park."

Christopher DeCarlo, a lawyer representing Corridor Square, stressed Thursday what's being proposed is far from what the final plans will be -- that there are still a lot more hoops and changes to go through.

"One of those things will be submitting a site development plan, an environmental concept plan," DeCarlo said. "As part of this as well, because of the nature of the properties, there will be thorough review by the historic preservation commission."

In the end, the Planning Board voted to give an unfavorable recommendation on these plans.

This now heads to the Zoning Board, but there's no word yet on when it'll take these plans up.

Mounting opposition

DeCarlo's words weren't enough to keep opposing public comment away.

Candy Warden was one of those voices, she's the president of the Rosa Bonheur Society, which is a group that's maintained and preserved the cemetery since 2007.

Warden said families with loved ones buried at the cemetery have been through a lot over the years, including being moved and desecrated.

"The inability for them to find closure after years of abuse would be compounded by rezoning that would permit destruction of the cemetery and their loved ones' remains," Warden said.

Milda Sermuksnis couldn't make it to the hearing; all five of her dogs are buried in the park. When she heard about what Corridor Square proposed, she was angry.

"To me, that's disgusting," she said.

She just wants her dogs' new home to be undisturbed.

"I just want it saved, for myself, for my doggies that I love a lot," Sermuksnis said. "Also, for people who have their animals there."