Board of Trustees District Office
Vladimir A. Anderson 25751 Trabuco Road
Noel Hatch Lake Forest, CA 92630-4348
Maribel Marroquin-Waldram Phone: (949) 951-9102
Kelly Rivers Fax: (949) 951-0236
Cynthia Ward www.occemeterydistrict.com
Tim Deutsch
General Manager
ORANGE COUNTY CEMETERY DISTRICT
__________________________________________CEMETERY LOCATIONS _________________________________________ Anaheim Cemetery El Toro Memorial Park Santa Ana Cemetery 1400 E. Sycamore St. 25751 Trabuco Road 1919 E. Santa Clara Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92805 Lake Forest, CA 92630 Santa Ana, CA 92705 (714) 535-4928 (949) 951-8244 (714) 953-2959
May 29, 2024
City of Anaheim
Planning & Building Department – Planning Service Division 200 South Anaheim Blvd. Suite 162
Anaheim, CA 92805
Attn: Heather Allen, Deputy Director
RE: Gypsum Canyon Cemetery Development Project – Public Information/Outreach Summary
Dear Heather,
Pursuant to your request, we have prepared the following overview to summarize the public information/outreach process that has been provided for the project. The Orange County Cemetery District is a small organization and we do not have a Public Information or Outreach office or staff. To address this important component of the project, the District hired Idea Hall of Costa Mesa who has worked on a number of County projects over the years. We engaged their services beginning in December 2022 and they have worked diligently with the Development Team on various aspects of the Community Outreach and Media Relations aspects. Below is a summary of some of the many efforts that have taken place in regards to this project.
Gypsum Canyon Cemetery Development
Community Outreach and Communications Efforts:
o Key Stakeholder Interviews:
• Organized meetings with project partners and stakeholders, including Congress members, Supervisors, Mayors, and City Officials, to share and discuss project updates, listen to constituents' needs, and address their concerns in the development planning.
o Public Meetings:
• Delivered comprehensive presentations at District and public meetings, providing updates on completed milestones for the Cemetery development, upcoming dates, and highlighting the project’s benefits. Addressed how the project responds to public needs and concerns to keep the community and stakeholders informed.
Gypsum Canyon Cemetery Development Project Letter - 2
__________________________________________CEMETERY LOCATIONS _________________________________________ Anaheim Cemetery El Toro Memorial Park Santa Ana Cemetery 1400 E. Sycamore St. 25751 Trabuco Road 1919 E. Santa Clara Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92805 Lake Forest, CA 92630 Santa Ana, CA 92705 (714) 535-4928 (949) 951-8244 (714) 953-2959
o Project Website Launch:
• Designed and soon to launch a project website offering clear and transparent information on the Gypsum Canyon Cemetery Development. The website includes important dates, FAQs, and detailed explanations of cemetery operations to correct misconceptions and educate the public on the project’s benefits for the OC community.
o Video Production:
• Produced and filmed a 4 min video highlighting the story and plans for the public and veterans' cemeteries in Gypsum Canyon including interviews with Supervisor Wagner and Mayor Aitken.
The video makes it easier for the public to learn more about the cemetery development and get more insights into its benefits and urgent need to the community. The video was shared with project partners and stakeholders and published on YouTube as well as the project’s website for wider accessibility. Here is the link to the YouTube video:
https://youtu.be/9Rkjo5cmJHA?si=FXzc4EnLJlIqVOGM
o Informational Booklet:
• Designed and printed a leave-behind booklet for grassroots meetings, showcasing the current status of OC public cemeteries’ casket spaces, narrating the Gypsum Canyon Cemetery Development story, and highlighting the project’s benefits and key stakeholders. Distributed to elected officials for sharing with their constituents, and a new batch of prints has been ordered due to high demand. Here is a link to the digital booklet which will appear on the website:
https://www.flipsnack.com/EF56A8DD75E/occd_gypsum-canyon-memorial-park/full-view.html
o Media Relations:
• Regularly monitored media coverage relevant to the cemetery development. Recommended targeted proactive outreach and responded to media requests reactively, in addition to conducting social listening to gauge community sentiment and address rising concerns.
o OCCD Newsletter Content:
• Drafted bi-monthly posts on the cemetery development’s updates to be included in the OCCD newsletter.
o Project Timeline Infographic:
• Developed an infographic highlighting the project’s story and achieved milestones.
o Anaheim Community Outreach Events/Presentations:
• June 23, 2022 - District 6 Community Meeting at Crosspointe Church – 40-50 residents in attendance. (PowerPoint Presentation available if needed) • February 21, 2023 – Meeting with District 6 Councilmember Natalie Meeks to discuss project status and Community concerns.
• June 15, 2023 – Anaheim Senior Citizens Advisory Council – 10-15 in attendance. (PowerPoint Presentation available if needed)
• June 22, 2023 – District 6 Community Meeting at East Anaheim Community Center – 40-50 residents in attendance. (PowerPoint Presentation available if needed) • September 19, 2023 – Meeting with Yorba Linda Mayor, City Manager and Development Director to discuss project status and Community concerns.
Gypsum Canyon Cemetery Development Project Letter - 3
__________________________________________CEMETERY LOCATIONS _________________________________________ Anaheim Cemetery El Toro Memorial Park Santa Ana Cemetery 1400 E. Sycamore St. 25751 Trabuco Road 1919 E. Santa Clara Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92805 Lake Forest, CA 92630 Santa Ana, CA 92705 (714) 535-4928 (949) 951-8244 (714) 953-2959
o Milestones, Site Events and Tours:
• December 2018 – County Board of Supervisors approved the transfer of 283.3 acres to the Orange County Cemetery District for the purposes of a State Veterans Cemetery and a public cemetery.
• July 2021 – County Board of Supervisors allocated $20 million towards the veteran’s cemetery development
• July – October 2021 – All 34 Orange County Cities Passed Resolutions supporting the development of the Southern California State Veterans Cemetery at the Gypsum Canyon Cemetery site
• March 2022 – County Board of Supervisors approved to set aside acreage in the public cemetery for Orange County’s First Responders.
• December 8, 2021 - Hosted Flag Pole Groundbreaking event with representatives from all 34 Cities, County Board of Supervisors, Orange County Legislative Delegation and 100-120 Veterans
• September 2022 - State Legislation approved for feasibility study of State Veterans Cemetery Development at Gypsum Canyon site.
• November 30, 2022 - Hosted Flag Raising Ceremony.
• April 2023 – Coordination between County of Orange, CalVet and Orange County Cemetery District began.
• January 2024 – CalVet releases completed concept plan and feasibility study. • June 2024 – CalVet to submit Federal Grant Request for additional development funding. • Tours – Hosted approximately 25-30 site tours from September 2019 to date – Tour attendees included community members for various cities, Veteran Association members, Elected officials from all of the 34 Orange County cities, Board of Supervisors, Assemblymembers, Senators, Congressional Members, and CalVet Executives.
o Public Phone Calls:
• Orange County Cemetery District office has received approximately 200-225 phone calls from citizens in many of the cities in Orange County and provided answers to questions or addressed their concerns.
• Orange County Cemetery District has over 130 families on a waiting list to purchase space when the new cemetery is developed. Currently, the only families available to purchase casket space are for families with an immediate need, due to a limited number inventory.
I am happy to provide any additional information that you determine the Planning Commission may need to make an informed decision or recommendation. Thank you for your assistance and we are looking forward to our continued collaboration on this much needed County-wide project.
Should you have any questions or need any additional information, please do not hesitate to call me at the District office (949) 951-9102.
Respectfully submitted,
Tim Deutsch
General Manager