City Government
Mega Crematorium Moves Ahead Despite City Council Opposition
After a recent ruling by Alameda County Superior Court Judge Evelio Grillo, the construction of a new mega-crematorium in East Oakland, which could burn as many as 3,000 bodies a year, may begin as early as next year.
The Neptune Society of Northern California had obtained a permit to build the crematorium near the Oakland International Airport last year, but within days of receiving it, City Councilmember Larry Reid moved to stop the construction of the project.
The City Council then unanimously passed an ordinance, which says a special permit must be obtained for construction of such a businesses as a crematorium. However, Judge Grillo ruled that the ordinance could not be used against Neptune because the company’s permit predates the law.
“I think every community, including Oakland, has to be aware there are necessary services that have to be performed,” said Michael Miller, president of Neptune Society.
The question is not at this point whether Neptune Society followed the city’s guidelines for building the crematorium but whether the city had allowed sufficient opportunity for community questions and concerns – positive or negative.
Reid and community members want to know more about possible toxins the crematorium may emit, but Miller says, there “aren’t any dangers of having a crematorium in the community.”
However, community members remain unconvinced by testimony from scientific experts who are not independent but who were hired by the Neptune Society.
The Bay Area Quality Management District, an agency that looks at emissions, has given the company a green light and says the business will pose no threat to residents or its employees, according to Miller.
The mega crematorium will be one of the largest on the West Coast.
Miller says Oakland was identified as a potential construction zone for its industrial areas zoned for this type of use.
Despite the controversy, Miller says the economic benefits to the city include the jobs the crematorium will create for Oakland residents.
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Oakland Post: Week of November 26 – December 2, 2025
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Oakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025
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IN MEMORIAM: William ‘Bill’ Patterson, 94
Bill devoted his life to public service and education. In 1971, he became the founding director for the Peralta Community College Foundation, he also became an administrator for Oakland Parks and Recreation overseeing 23 recreation centers, the Oakland Zoo, Children’s Fairyland, Lake Merritt, and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.
William “Bill” Patterson, 94, of Little Rock, Arkansas, passed away peacefully on October 21, 2025, at his home in Oakland, CA. He was born on May 19, 1931, to Marie Childress Patterson and William Benjamin Patterson in Little Rock, Arkansas. He graduated from Dunbar High School and traveled to Oakland, California, in 1948. William Patterson graduated from San Francisco State University, earning both graduate and undergraduate degrees. He married Euradell “Dell” Patterson in 1961. Bill lovingly took care of his wife, Dell, until she died in 2020.
Bill devoted his life to public service and education. In 1971, he became the founding director for the Peralta Community College Foundation, he also became an administrator for Oakland Parks and Recreation overseeing 23 recreation centers, the Oakland Zoo, Children’s Fairyland, Lake Merritt, and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.
He served on the boards of Oakland’s Urban Strategies Council, the Oakland Public Ethics Commission, and the Oakland Workforce Development Board.
He was a three-term president of the Oakland branch of the NAACP.
Bill was initiated in the Gamma Alpha chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
In 1997 Bill was appointed to the East Bay Utility District Board of Directors. William Patterson was the first African American Board President and served the board for 27 years.
Bill’s impact reached far beyond his various important and impactful positions.
Bill mentored politicians, athletes and young people. Among those he mentored and advised are legends Joe Morgan, Bill Russell, Frank Robinson, Curt Flood, and Lionel Wilson to name a few.
He is survived by his son, William David Patterson, and one sister, Sarah Ann Strickland, and a host of other family members and friends.
A celebration of life service will take place at Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center (Calvin Simmons Theater) on November 21, 2025, at 10 AM.
His services are being livestreamed at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1250167107131991/
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Euradell and William Patterson scholarship fund TBA.
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