Pikeville cemetery addition expected to open soon
By Melinda Harrell
Published in News on September 14, 2014 10:24 AM
PIKEVILLE -- Town officials are in the process of determining prices for new lots in the expanding town cemetery.
Town Commissioner Todd Smith, a member of the town board's cemetery committee, said a preliminary pricing plan has been developed.
For the first 90 days after the cemetery addition is ready, each gravesite would be $400, Smith said. After the 90-day period expires, the price for a single gravesite would increase to $750. Sites could also be purchased in blocks of four.
The committee would offer the reduced price to allow residents who have been waiting to purchase gravesites the opportunity to do so at the old rate.
"There are around 40 names on the waiting list. People on the list will be contacted as early in the day as possible after we open it (up for sale)," Smith said.
The tentative pricing plan also would allow those who are not on the waiting list the chance to get the cheaper rate for a gravesite.
"Cemetery plots are a hot commodity, and people will be flooding in to get it at the cheapest price," Town Commissioner Charles Hooks said at the board's September meeting.
Discussion continued with commissioners talking about placing limitations on how many gravesites a funeral home or individual can purchase in a year.
Smith said opening up the cemetery will be weeks away. By that time, board members said, they hope to have finalized prices.
"Right now the new section is graded and grass planted," Smith said. "We are waiting for the grass to come up to mark the plots. The surveyors have to order the medallions, which takes about a week. Once they are installed we will start the discussion on opening it up for purchase."
Once the old portion of the cemetery filled up and the waiting list grew, the necessity for cemetery expansion became apparent, board members said.
About two acres, which equates to 2,100 graves, were added to the older portion of the cemetery after a committee comprised of Smith, three community volunteers and the former town administrator Blake Proctor was formed to assess the needs of the community regarding additional cemetery space.