A group of residents is fighting plans to turn a longtime Woodland Hills nursery into a cemetery, hiring attorneys and launching a petition to stop the development.
Boething Treeland Nursery, which sat on 32 acres near the border of Woodland Hills, Calabasas and Hidden Hills, was sold last year for nearly $4 million to Dignity Memorial, the nation’s largest funeral provider. The company will soon submit plans to the city of Los Angeles for a cemetery and funeral home on the property.
Neighbors have told the Los Angeles Times that they don’t want to live next to a cemetery. In addition to traffic concerns and religious objections, the Times reports that opponents argue the project is moving forward without enough community input.
The law firm Raskin Tepper Sloan, hired by nearby homeowners, sent a letter to the L.A. Planning Department this week urging officials to conduct a full environmental review before granting approvals. Attorney Scott J. Tepper wrote that Dignity Memorial is seeking “by right” approval for the project without public hearings or adequate disclosure to the community, according to the L.A. Times.
The City of Hidden Hills released an update last month saying the property is outside its jurisdiction. Because the site is already zoned for cemetery use, no additional zoning approvals are required, meaning the project can move forward without traditional public hearings.
Aaron Green, a spokesperson for the project, told the Times that Dignity Memorial intends to be a good neighbor and will present a design that includes discreet lighting, a landscaped privacy wall and daytime-only services.
Dignity Memorial is expected to submit formal plans to the city next month. If approved, construction could begin in 2026 with the cemetery opening as early as 2027.
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