The Holbrook Cemetery was poised to run out of plots in about five years, but an expansion project will add another 10 to 20 years to that timeline.
City crews have started the work that will take the fence to the edge of the property line. Before the fence work could begin, however, an old water-shop building had to be removed.
City Manager Ray Alley explained that the expansion project was delayed for more than a year while the city waited for clearance to take down the old building due hazardous materials that were potentially used in its construction. He noted that the building was about 70 years old.
“We got an EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) grant to test for asbestos and lead,” he said. “That was around $30,000 and took more than a year to complete.”
It turned out that the building did not contain asbestos, but there was a small amount of lead paint. Ally noted that it cost about $4,800 to abate the lead paint, and then city crews were able to demolish and remove the building so expansion could begin. Demolition started last week.
Once the property is clear, the east fence of the cemetery will be shifted about 35 feet to the edge of the city-owned property. Alley noted that it will be adjacent to the American Legion, and will provide as much space as possible for burials.
Limited space at the cemetery has been a concern for some time.
“We had a lot of out-of-town burials because we were cheaper than almost anywhere else around,” he said. “So we raised those rates so that we would have the space available for the people who live here.”
With the expansion and the rate increase, Alley estimates that it will be about 15 to 25 years before the city must find other options for cemetery space.
