Stop the Menoher Boulevard Funeral Home Smokestacks
Duca Funeral Home is demanding a zoning variance to build a commercial crematory at 1622 Menoher Boulevard.
This is not a simple “modernization.” It is an attempt to force an industrial operation into our residential community based on a false representation of Westmont’s zoning history.
Once the Zoning Hearing Board schedules a meeting to review the zoning variance, we will share that information immediately and will need you to show up in force.
Tell officials to protect the integrity of our zoning laws. Residential areas should remain residential!
The Facts You Need to Know:
The Zoning Lie: Duca claims the funeral home is “grandfathered” in. It is not. The property was granted a strict, limited variance in 1983 from its residential zoning. A variance is a conditional privilege, not a blank check to build heavy industry.
Industrial Scale: The proposed crematory is designed for “continuous operation,” capable of incinerating up to six bodies in ten hours, with no cool-down periods. Just ask East Baltimore residents about the black smoke from their new crematory.
24/7 Disruptions & Toxic Smoke: A crematory isn’t a 9-to-5 business. Consolidating their regional operations here means round-the-clock activity disrupting our evenings and early mornings, along with up to 10 hours a day of visible, equipment-sanctioned smoke blowing into our residential neighborhood.
No Actual “Hardship”: Zoning variances require a property to have a physical hardship. Duca’s property has none. Over 90% of PA funeral homes operate successfully without a crematory. Profit is not a legal excuse to break zoning laws.
Tell Westmont to Reject Any Crematory Variance
The Duca Run-Around Continues
At a Borough Council meeting in August, Duca stated on the record that he had already moved the crematory equipment to Westmont. While most modern crematories are environmentally safe, industrial equipment belongs in industrial zones.
- Baltimore Brew: Black smoke is seen rising from Vaughn Greene crematory that just opened in North Baltimore — July 16, 2026
The facts are clear:
A zoning variance isn’t a safety net for a business that ignores the law and the will of the community.
Every local applicant must play by the same rules. No business should be allowed to radically change the nature of a project without obtaining proper approvals first.
Westmont families and neighbors deserve honesty about what’s going on in their neighborhood and a genuine opportunity for input.
Westmont already set a precedent years ago by rejecting a similar crematory proposal in a residential area. Stay consistent and accountable.
Westmont’s comprehensive plan explicitly states its goal is to preserve the borough primarily as a residential area.
While modern crematory equipment is designed to be more efficient, the Duca’s moved old equipment to Menoher Boulevard from a recently closed funeral home before obtaining the proper permits to install.
Please use this short form to tell Westmont officials to stand their ground. Our residential zones must stay residential.
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