CCMIN111814 - Laserfiche WebLink

13. Consider approval of the Pleasanton Pioneer Cemetery Master Plan Assistant Director of Operation Services Yurchak, presented a brief introduction to the item and history on the project. She stated that the Council authorized the development of the Pleasanton Pioneer Cemetery Master Plan as part of its annual Work Plan in May 2013. The following September, the Council established a seven member oversight committee comprised of representatives from the Parks and Recreation and Civic Arts Commissions, Veterans Organizations of Pleasanton, the Community Cemetery Group, Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services who currently serves as the contract operator for the cemetery and one member of the community at large. After authorizing a contract with PGAdesign in January 2014, staff, the consultant and committee met five times over an eight month period to draft the Master Plan. A community workshop, which had 46 attendees, was held in July to present the Master Plan and review the site plan. The public was also provided with an opportunity to review the Draft Plan on the city's website for a three week period in September, followed by presentation and approval of the Plan to the Parks and Recreation last month. Ms. Yurchak stressed that the Draft Master Plan is considered a working document and intended to serve as a flexible guide to the community as it plans the future of the cemetery. The oversight committee, with assistance from consultants, developed the following vision statement to serve as a guiding principle throughout the process: "At the Pleasanton Pioneer Cemetery we seek to preserve its history and create a self-sustaining park-like setting where creative alternatives for human burial can take place in our community." The Draft Master Plan includes a history of the site, existing conditions and challenges, a site plan, and improvement and expansion opportunities. There was also a diligent effort to develop a business plan framework to identify the potential revenue forecast for the cemetery, construction cost estimates, an ongoing maintenance schedule, and Draft Operation Rules and Policies. Chris Pattillo, PGAdesign, provided an overview of the site's history. Founded in 1850, Pleasanton Pioneer Cemetery houses the founding families of Pleasanton as well as other community members. In 1882, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) assumed operations and management of the site and continued to do so until early 2000 when most members had passed. In 2003 the Tri-Valley Cemetery Committee stepped forward to see what could be done to care for and usher the cemetery into the next generation. In 2005 the City Council authorized what is known as the Sloan Report, which was a comprehensive assessment of everything involved in taking over the cemetery operations, and ultimately decided to acquire the site and assume responsibility for its ongoing maintenance and operations. In collaboration with several dedicated community members, the city undertook a major cleanup of the site as its condition had declined quite severely over the years. The city also immediately developed a plan to install 202 new casket plots and 202 cremains plots, ensuring opportunities for ongoing burials. Once retained, her firm in association with several consultants, city staff and the oversight committee, worked to identify opportunities to expand burial options to extend the life of the cemetery and to develop the business plan framework. She reviewed existing conditions at the 5.2 acre site, noting the particular challenges associated with parcel's steep slope and generally uneven topography. Current challenging site conditions associate with maintenance include a number of damaged copings and monuments thought to be related to age, several severely sunken graves, uneven pavement problems that present tripping hazards and road deterioration. One issue of particular concern is the site's soils, which have suffered as the result of vague compaction specifications, ground squirrel damage, improper placement of subsoil on the surface level, and insufficient mixing of soil sources. Other issues requiring attention include screening, particularly between the site and single family homes to the east and Memory Care to the south, as well as rather eclectic collection of mementos that present something of an aggravation for maintenance crews. Councilmember Cook-Kallio asked if a lack of regulations dealing with vaults at the time the cemetery was established might also affect compaction issues. City Council Minutes Page 5 of 22 November 18, 2014