Cemetery Expansion
At last Thursday's work session, the City Council gave preliminary approval for a property swap between the cemetery and the recreation department.
Here's the problem: The cemetery has run out of land. A moratorium has been placed on the few remaining plots, so that American Fork residents may neither purchase in advance nor reserve space for an entire family. Gravesites are priced at $800 each -- the highest price in the state. Nevertheless, available gravesites are expected to sell out within the year.
The problem calls for a long-term solution. Clearly, the City must purchase land for a new cemetery, and in fact, funds are being set aside for this purpose. The City hopes to secure land at the Developmental Center, but this property is held by the State of Utah, and the State seems undecided about the future of the Developmental Center. Mayor Thompson reports that Representative Ken Sumsion has pledged to help, but the City sees no near-term prospects for purchase.
Meanwhile, parks and recreation proponents have long been clamoring for completion of the ball diamonds at Art Dye park. Five are planned, but only three have been constructed.
Here's where the swap comes in. I'm not sure who first proposed the idea, but I like to imagine that inspiration came in a Newton-like moment when cemetery sexton Ray Garrett, watching a game in progress at the Filly Field just over the historic stone wall, was hit in the head by a baseball and said, "Eureka!"
The outcome is that, using approximately $60,000 in funds from the land purchase reserves (cheap!), the cemetery will "buy" the Filly Field from the recreation department by paying for the construction of the two new ball diamonds at Art Dye. Filly League games will then be moved to Art Dye, and the cemetery will use more funds to convert the Filly Field into a cemetery annex.
$40,000 will complete the fields at Art Dye, and $20,000 will convert the Filly Field into an estimated 2,432 gravesites -- enough for three to five years. This is a temporary fix -- but we may hope that three to five years will be long enough for the State to make up its mind about the lands at the Developmental Center, and for the City to accumulate funds sufficient for purchase.
As an added bonus, this will also free up space for additional Fitness Center parking, meaning that early morning patrons of the Fitness Center will now be able to take their exercise in the Fitness Center, rather than on the long trek from their cars to the front door.
Here's the problem: The cemetery has run out of land. A moratorium has been placed on the few remaining plots, so that American Fork residents may neither purchase in advance nor reserve space for an entire family. Gravesites are priced at $800 each -- the highest price in the state. Nevertheless, available gravesites are expected to sell out within the year.
The problem calls for a long-term solution. Clearly, the City must purchase land for a new cemetery, and in fact, funds are being set aside for this purpose. The City hopes to secure land at the Developmental Center, but this property is held by the State of Utah, and the State seems undecided about the future of the Developmental Center. Mayor Thompson reports that Representative Ken Sumsion has pledged to help, but the City sees no near-term prospects for purchase.
Meanwhile, parks and recreation proponents have long been clamoring for completion of the ball diamonds at Art Dye park. Five are planned, but only three have been constructed.
Here's where the swap comes in. I'm not sure who first proposed the idea, but I like to imagine that inspiration came in a Newton-like moment when cemetery sexton Ray Garrett, watching a game in progress at the Filly Field just over the historic stone wall, was hit in the head by a baseball and said, "Eureka!"
The outcome is that, using approximately $60,000 in funds from the land purchase reserves (cheap!), the cemetery will "buy" the Filly Field from the recreation department by paying for the construction of the two new ball diamonds at Art Dye. Filly League games will then be moved to Art Dye, and the cemetery will use more funds to convert the Filly Field into a cemetery annex.
$40,000 will complete the fields at Art Dye, and $20,000 will convert the Filly Field into an estimated 2,432 gravesites -- enough for three to five years. This is a temporary fix -- but we may hope that three to five years will be long enough for the State to make up its mind about the lands at the Developmental Center, and for the City to accumulate funds sufficient for purchase.
As an added bonus, this will also free up space for additional Fitness Center parking, meaning that early morning patrons of the Fitness Center will now be able to take their exercise in the Fitness Center, rather than on the long trek from their cars to the front door.
posted by Heidi Rodeback at 4:10 PM
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