A MORATORIUM on new mortuaries and crematoria was approved by the Garden Grove City Council Tuesday night (Flickr/Duncan C).

A moratorium on new mortuaries and crematoriums was extended to 10 months and 15 days by the Garden Grove City Council at its meeting Tuesday night. The vote was 4-0 with Councilman Kris Beard absent.

A planned mortuary on Garden Grove Boulevard near Fairview Street brought protests from nearby businesses and residents at an earlier meeting. Some objected to possible hazardous fumes, while others believed the presence of such businesses near homes would lover property values. Some expressed a fear of “ghosts.”

The moratorium would give city staff time to draw up permanent zoning regulations regarding such businesses. Tuesday’s decision extended an earlier moratorium passed by the council.

Also Tuesday night, the council voted to maintain current landscaping regulations of single-family homes and make it clear that dry decorative materials are allowed as part of a front lawn but not required as part of the landscaping.

Because of California’s drought and restrictions on watering, many residents have replaced all or part of their lawns with crushed rock, pavers or concrete paving, and totally replaced planted material, according to a city report.