01/11/05 — Mt. Olive buys land for cemetery expansion

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Mt. Olive buys land for cemetery expansion

By Bonnie Edwards
Published in News on January 11, 2005 1:58 PM

MOUNT OLIVE -- The Mount Olive Board of Commissioners agreed Monday night to buy 11.7 acres of land to add to the Carver Cemetery.

The town ran out of space in the cemetery about six weeks ago and had no more burial lots to sell, said Town Manager Ray McDonald.

He said the town has been trying for 30 years to buy the property to add to the cemetery, which is located at the end of Carver Street off South Breazeale Avenue.

The land, which lies between Powell Street and the cemetery, is owned by the family of the late D.F. Odom. The family has agreed to sell the land for $5,000 an acre, said McDonald. He recommended that the board buy it.

McDonald said one acre fof land can be divided into 300 burial lots.

The town charges $550 for a lot. The town increased the price last year from $500 a lot and plans to increase it again this year to $600.

Commissioner Paul Smalley made the motion to buy the land under a lease-purchase agreement through Southern Bank. The vote was unanimous.