Huntley funeral home adding pet crematorium next door

DeFiore Funeral and Cremation Service in Huntley soon will be extending its services to pet owners.

The Huntley Village Board, in a 6-0 vote Thursday evening, approved plans for a pet crematorium, which will be next door to the existing DeFiore funeral home, 10763 Dundee-Huntley Road.

The funeral home for pets will have a pet walkway, viewing room and caretaker’s residence on the second floor of the building, according to village records.

In June, the Huntley Village Board reviewed plans for the pet crematorium. Officials didn’t vote on the project at that time but were supportive of the proposal and felt it filled a need in the community, a sentiment they echoed Thursday.

The plan got a unanimous thumbs-up from the Plan Commission last month, but some of the residents who live in townhomes immediately south of the site had some concerns about the project.

Charlie Nordman, the Huntley director of development services, said two residents came to the Plan Commission meeting and opposed the project; their concerns mostly dealt with the funeral home’s proximity and buffering. Nordman said the residents believed the space where the pet crematorium will be built was going to stay a vacant lot forever.

There’s already landscaping that serves as a buffer between the funeral home and the subdivision, as well as a strip mall next door. The landscaping proposed for the pet crematorium will fill in the gaps, Nordman said.

Trustee Vito Benigno asked Nordman if the residents who objected were happy with officials’ response to their concerns. Nordman said the new landscaping was a benefit the residents were generally pleased with.

The Village Board reiterated its support for the project Thursday evening, with Trustee Harry Leopold saying, “Good job.”

Village President Tim Hoeft said: “It’s always great to see a business that’s been here expand, and thank you for that and choosing Huntley to be your home in expanding.”