1k Pioneer Cemetery MonumentsCITYOF
CH SEI
0 City Center Drive, PO Box I47
;hanhassen, Minnesota 55317
Phone 612937.1900
General?ax 612937.5739
:'ngineering Fax 612.93Z9152
ublic Safety tax 612.934.2524
'Teh www. ci. chanhassen, mn. ta
MEMORANDUM
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
Todd Gerhardt, Acting City Manager
Karen Engelhardt, Office Manager
January 19, 1999
SUB J:
City Code Amendment to Allow Upright Monuments (Headstones)
in the Chanhassen Pioneer Cemetery; First Reading
BACKGROUND
The City of Chanhassen took ownership of the Chanhassen Pioneer Cemetery in
1987 after the Cemetery Association could no longer keep up with the maintenance.
The cemetery contains approximately 600 grave sites, with approximately 200
available for sale. When the city accepted the cemetery, we reviewed rules and
regulations from other cemeteries and developed the attached ordinance as it
currently exists.
Section 8-21 (d) requires that all cemetery monuments be footstones that are level
with the surface of the ground with an apron of at least 6 inches around the
monument. Staff has received a request from a resident who would like to purchase
some graves in the cemetery, but will only do so if he is allowed to install a
headstone monument. Staff has received similar requests over the years.
Park Superintendent Dale Gregory and I have reviewed this request and find it to be
reasonable. Many of the graves in the cemetery already have headstones, so it would
keep within the character of the cemetery. The reason for the footstone requirement
was for maintenance purposes, e.g. trimming required around each monument. Mr.
Gregory did not feel that allowing headstones would increase maintenance costs
significantly (on average we bury 2-3 people per year).
Additionally, staff requests that the requirement for a 6 inch concrete apron around
the monuments be amended to a 4 inch concrete apron. A 4 inch apron looks better
visually and is less likely to be chipped by a lawn mower during maintenance.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends approval of an amendment to Section 8-21 (d) of city code that-will
allow the placement of headstones in the Chanhassen Pioneer Cemetery, and to
amend the apron requirement from 6 inches to 4 inches. If the council approves first
~reading -of this ordinance, staff will requestthat the.City Attorney prepare the
amendment for final reading.
, Cio~ ofChanhassen. A growing commum~ with clean lakes,.ttuality- schoo& a charmineo downtown, thrivine_~: businesses,, and beauti~pl arks. A great, p lace to live, work, and. pla, y.
§ 8-19 CHANHASSEN CITY CODE
Sec. 8-19. Maintenance and perpetual care funds,
All income received by the city for grave or lot purchase price and monies from the forme~
Chanhassen Cemetery Association shall be receipted to the hereby created Chanhasser~
Pioneer Cemetery Fund maintained and kept by the city. Expenditures from the cemeterY~_
fund shall be used solely for the purpose of defraying the cost of caring for, maintaining and~-
improving the cemetery lots; expansion; or other cemetery purposes as determined by thecity~
council. Any income so received in excess of the amount necessary to' pay for the care and~
beautification of the lots or any income not spent in any year for this purpose shall remain in~
the cemetery fund. The city manager shall report on a yearly basis, through the budgetary$
process or other reporting form established by the council, the financial status of thecemetery ~.-
fund.
· (Ord. No. 79, § 6, 4.24-85)
Sec. 8-20. Transfer of lots.
No cemetery graves or lots may be sold, assigned, conveyed or otherwise disposed of,~
except by will or operation of law, without the approval of the city. The city retains the first
option to repurchase a cemetery grave or lot at the price paid or then current price, whichever
~is .lower. The city may use any of its funds or any cemetery funds for such repurchase and may
hold such grave or lot, or again sell and convey the same.
(Ord. No. 79, § 9, 4-24-85)
Sec. 8-21. Monuments, markers and plantings generally.
(a) In addition to those standards provided herein, the city manager may from txme o
$ime adopt regulations establishing standards and requirements regulating the type, location,
-size, material, number, the manner of placement and installation, and removal Of monument
markers, and plantings permitted with the city cemeteryto the extent not established by thiS-'~
· article, and may prohibit the placement of new monuments, i~
(b) Every monument and marker shall be placed in the space as shownOn the cemetery:-~
.plat or as directed by the city. No monument or marker shall-be placed unless itslocation has~
· been approved by the city and the full purchase price oi~the grave has been l~aid.
(c) No monument or marker, may he. constructed of limestone, sandstone, wood,or othew~i~ _
materials which will not assure relative .permanency.
(d) All markers or monuments shall be level with the surface of the ground and placed
a suitable foundation. An apron of at least six (6) inches in width shall be placed around sald:~.
marker or monument, whichshall be made of 8oncrete, which apron shall' also be level with[~
the surface of the ground, and which shall be affixed to the marker so as to prevent grass,._t~
weeds, or other vegetation from growing betweenthe marker and apron.
(e) This section and regulations that may be established by the city council shall not'~
affect monuments or markers of plantings in existence as of April 15, 1985, excep~ in those~
instances where such monuments or markers or plantings have become unsafe. '
(Ord. No. 79, '§ 10, 4-24-85)
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