SR-012373-7CCITY OP SANTA MONICA
T E~ T E T E 0~-. - _~_ ~~ ~_~
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~aTE: January 17, 1973 ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ .__ 3
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TO: Perry Scott, City Manager ''""~-,~
FROM: Doug McAteer, Director of Public Works ~,a
SUBJECT: Woodla*rm Cemetery - Proposed Expansion
There are presently about 2,000 unsold grave sites remain-
ing at the cemetery -- the majority of which are in the recently
opened Block 19 section, At the present rate of business, the
cemetery will be completely sold out of graves in 5 or 6 years,
Tnere are two ways to expand the capability of the cemetery;
(1) Acquire and develop additional land for ground burial graves, or
(2) Construct Garden Type Crypts on existing cemetery property,
As you l~now, at the meeting of August ~, 1970, the City
Council (with a different membership composition} disapproved the
construction of Garden Grypts along llith Street between the
Administration Building and Michigan Avenue, as proposed by the
former Director of Public Works, Mr, Kennedy,
I favor the Garden Type Crypts over additional ground burial
sites, for the following reasons;
(1} Acquiring additional land is costly and time consuming,
Over seven years elapsed between the time the expansion of Block
19 was first proposed and the time it eras finally opened to the
public in April, 1971,
Date: January 17, 1873 Page 2
Subject: Woodlatim Cemetery - Proposed Expansion V
(2) Space is available to construct Garden Crypts along
14th Street between the Administration Building and Michigan
Avenue,
(3) Garden Crypts can be constructed for about X250 each
and can be sold for an average cost of about X750 -- depending
upon location, height, etc,
(4) In some instances, Garden Crypt interrlents can be
purchased for about the sarne price as a ground burial interment.
(5) Well-designed Garden Crypts provide a final resting
place of beauty, dignity, and permanence.
It is my recommendation, at this time, that the City Council
be requested to approve the concept. of Garden Type Crypts, in
order that funds can be tentatively allocated in the 1973-74
Budget to construct about 400 Garden Crypts along 14th Street
just southerly of the Administration Building.
A plot plan showing the location of the proposed improve-
ment will be available at the Council meeting.
DNI;fs