Operations Statement
The Visalia Cemetery District’s Mission is to provide burial services to families in a respectful and dignified manner. To achieve this goal, we need to expand the burial grounds providing various options for cremation and full body burial.
Noted on the site plan provided several of the lots are already zoned QP and our request is to bring the other lots into conformance with the 2005 Visalia Cemetery District Land Use Plan. We shall be able to expand the burial grounds as well as adhere to the 300 lineal feet of frontage which is allowed by code for burial sites. A list of Cemetery District owned properties by APN# is attached. The cemetery is not proposing a lot merger as their existing properties are not merged.
Also, as the cemetery expands, we need to enhance the internal circulation. We would install 1 thru driveway to Rinaldi noted on plans as “proposed driveway Entrance/Exit. This allows for funeral processions to arrive on site without all of them entering at the main gate to the south (Giddings). The cemetery already has south and east gates. Additionally, a new internal driveway as well as a driveway paralleling Rinaldi would be added to improve internal circulation.
The 2030 Long Range Land Use Plan Boundary does not fully extend beyond Turner. We are requesting that the Master Plan be extended as shown on the Site Plan as depicted in Blue. With the current data available there is enough capacity for about 8 years. More than 90% of the current capacity is on the west side ( Rinaldi) of the cemetery. The available burial spaces currently are 1,007 full body spaces and 450 ash spaces. Expanding to the east side (Turner) is necessary to coordinate daily burials . The cemetery needs to have options for families to select sites in different quadrants of the cemetery. This would allow families time for the burial process without interruptions from the next procession. Our current plan would force our families to either overlap which is not an option, pick a different day or to change the time. This becomes very difficult when coordinating with different mortuaries and is also very difficult for our staff. Families like to witness the burial process until the last piece of sod is placed. The service may only last 30 – 45 minutes but if they would like to witness it could take another hour and a half to finish the process. Having different areas of the cemetery available helps us give the public options.
Expanding burial sites to another quadrant allowing for multiple site locations within the Cemetery for burials. Expanding into these areas is in the intent of expansion for the cemetery. It appears by expanding these boundaries would be more consistent than the existing plan as it draws a definitive line especially along Rinaldi and to the east of Turner. .