Arlington Cemetery will resume selling burial plots following a 30-year hiatus, necessitating the establishment of fresh regulations and directives.
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Get ready to see Arlington Cemetery buzzing like never before! This historic graveyard, home to legendary characters whose names grace our streets and schools, has been limited on internments for almost three decades. But that's all set to change, thanks to a new city ordinance in the works.
This cemetery, with gravestones bearing names like Collins and Ditto, holds a piece of Arlington's history that we can't ignore. And it's been a hot topic at city council meetings lately, as leaders gear up to redefine its operation.
Back in 1995, with the city taking control of the property, Texas law stopped Arlington Cemetery from selling new plots. That's because, despite the city owning the property, the law considered it abandoned. But all that changed in 2023, after state and Arlington leaders listened to the pleas of living notables who dreamt of resting in hallowed grounds like this one.
Now that the law has been updated, Arlington can start selling new plots. But there's a catch—before it can do so, the city council needs to establish guidelines.
Sarah Stubblefield, the strategic initiatives manager for Arlington, explains why. "We simply took a custodial role with the cemetery when plots couldn't be sold," she said. "That didn't require much governance. We just cleaned it up, handled occasional internments, and kept the place looking respectable."
However, operating a cemetery on a larger scale requires proper planning and oversight.Setting rules for plot sales, arranging the cemetery layout, and ensuring buyers' rights are protected are just a few examples.
To prepare for the changes, the city has been using ground-penetrating radar to find burial sites between headstones. They've also been setting up an appeals process for people who already own burial plots. Old records might be missing, so there's a chance not every plot purchase is accounted for.
Stubblefield promised that anyone who owns a plot will have a chance to prove their ownership, ensuring they don't get sold to someone else in error.
Apart from the usual rules outlined in the ordinance, Stubblefield emphasized that there's nothing extraordinary going on here. "The text in the ordinance is meant to make the cemetery functional and keep it in line with industry standards," she said. "We're not pulling any crazy moves—just correcting things we've needed to do for a while."
The ordinance will also handle standards and expectations for third-party operators, the abandonment and appeals process, and a fee schedule for burial rights and internments. If all goes well, this could be a new Milestone for Arlington Cemetery!
Keep an eye out for updates on May 13 at the city council meeting, when the Municipal Policy Committee is set to continue refining the ordinance details.
Curious about more? Drop James Hartley a line at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @ByJamesHartley.
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- The new city ordinance, currently being refined by the Municipal Policy Committee, aims to establish guidelines for selling new plots at Arlington Cemetery, which has been limited since 1995 due to Texas laws that considered the cemetery abandoned.
- As the ordinance progresses, it will address various policies and legislations, including standards for third-party operators, the appeals process for existing plot owners, and a fee schedule for burial rights and internments, ensuring the cemetery's operations are functional and in alignment with industry standards.
