Community members express concerns over zoning request and building plans near cemetery

Concerned community members attended a meeting at the Clark County Government Building in River Ridge on April 9 to voice concerns regarding a property owner who is wanting to build near the Little Union Pioneer Cemetery in Henryville.

The property owner had made a zoning request to allow for a residence to be built. This is a concern for concerned citizens as they do not want the ground to be disturbed due to unmarked graves.

The Little Union Pioneer Cemetery, which is located on Francke Road, holds historical significance as the original burial site of many of Henryville's earliest settlers. Over the years, there has been speculation that the cemetery is larger than its current visible footprint, leading to concerns about proposed developments encroaching on unmarked graves.

Previously, the owner had planned to build storage units on land in the area, but the plans were canceled. During this time, a dowser investigated revealing numerous unmarked burial sites.

Now with a new planning board in place the subject of building in the area has come up again creating concerns from others residing in the area and individuals who have relatives buried in the cemetery. Preservationists fear that construction in the area could not only disturb graves but also block the cemetery from public view leading to vandalism or other criminal activities at the site.

Several individuals, including the property owner and an owner of a cemetery preservation firm, spoke at the meeting. It was explained that the zoning board has no legal right to determine whether the property owner can build on the property. The board can only make a decision as far as the zoning request and what uses are allowed of the property.

In order for the property owner to build, he would have to get a permit. Before it would be approved he would have to have a Cemetery Development Plan submitted to the DNR and have it approved by them. At one point in the meeting it was mentioned that there is another residence in very close proximity to the cemetery. However, the statue in question was not in place until 2014 and the house is much older than that.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the board did approve the zoning request as residential with the condition that no building permit can be issued until the plan is submitted to the DNR.

For more information, those interested can reach out to the local Cemetery Commission or the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.