NEWAYGO COUNTY, Mich. — A township planning board in Newaygo County is doubling down on an effort to ban new cemeteries.
In a majority vote Monday night, the Planning Board passed an amended zoning ordinance clarifying that ban.
It's a disappointing outcome for one family who wanted to bring the concept of a burial forest to Michigan.
"We have plans to move forward with our initial lawsuit. So it really doesn't change anything for us," Peter Quakenbush said.
Peter and Annica Quakenbush bought 20 acres in Brooks Township about two years ago. Their goal was to open up a burial forest.
The couple says it is a natural and sustainable alternative to traditional cemeteries.
They say they have more than 300 people on their waiting list with the hopes of adding more.
"2,000 to 6,000 because the council limits the number of burials that can happen on a particular property. And so the idea is low density," Peter said.
But this back-and-forth with Brooks Township has paused the Quakenbushes' plans. At the planning meeting on Monday, several people spoke up for the plans. However, many who live nearby were against the project.
"When we put a body in the ground and the way that we know that it should decompose, it will decompose properly. It's safe, sanitary, it's effective, and it's letting that body go back to be part of the natural world again, and I wouldn't be buried that way," Marsha Reeves said.
"I don't want to have to worry about the effects of the poisons from the human body getting into my water. It's very nice to have the woods in the backyard. I don't need to see a bunch of cars traveling through," Gary Adams said.
The full township board ultimately gets the final say and meets at the hall on Tuesday night.
The Quakenbushes are suing the township, hoping to keep their project going.
