PLR Department moving forward with proposal for sanctuary garden at Riverside Cemetery

Sterling’s Parks, Library and Recreation Department are considering putting in a sanctuary memorial garden at Riverside Cemetery. The idea for the project was presented by Sterling citizen Norma Nab to the PLR Board at their regular meeting Monday.

Nab explained that her husband passed away last June and her family would like to do some sort of memorial for him. They have put together about $5,000 for this purpose and she is willing to contact others to raise more money if needed.

After talking with Parks, Cemetery and Forestry Superintendent Jamie Ulrich several times over the past few months about options, and doing a lot of thinking and researching, and making many trips to the cemetery where she had to sit in her car, the idea of a place to sit outdoors, “a sanctuary if you will,” came to mind

She shared with the board a photograph of a sanctuary that she found that she believes would be doable. It would be a small, simple outdoor space with trees and a couple of benches for sitting, a place for mourners like her to reflect.

“In my research I found no shortage of memorial gardens within cemeteries, in fact Sterling could be counted one of the few that do not have one. Some are very ornate and some are very simple,” Nab told the board.

She acknowledged that she is aware many people have asked for similar plans and they’ve been told no, with the reasoning being that then everyone would want one by their grave.

“If there is that many taxpaying citizens wanting a place of peace at the cemetery, isn’t it time to relook at the policies?” Nab questioned, adding that she isn’t sure that everyone would really want one.

She went on to share that while Ulrich had told her that benches are not allowed because it is not a memorial cemetery, there are quite a few benches there, and while many of them are headstone benches, some aren’t.

“To me it’s a way of getting around the policy and I’ve never been one to go around a policy when you can change the route. I think it’s just time to think about allowing people to have a little ground for a peaceful sitting area,” Nab said.

PLR Director Wade Gandee clarified that all the benches at the cemetery are connected to headstones or are headstones themselves, except the two benches by the big mausoleum, which were put in a long time ago.

Nab concluded her presentation asking the board to consider her request with an open mind and to think about revisiting some of the city’s policies “that some would say are rigid and unfeeling.”

Ulrich told the board he discussed with Nab putting in a sanctuary memorial garden near the columbarium niches, where there would be a couple trees, flowerbeds and a few of benches, so that mourners could enjoy the pond and waterfall that are there. The benches, which would not have any names on them, would be placed on the outside of the concrete circles that have already been poured, so that handicapped people can come right up to them.

Gandee shared that the city had already planned to put more trees around that area, but they wanted to wait until they get the last two concrete sections in place and the second waterfall coming down the backside put in.

In talking about what type of benches to put in, there was concern about how well metal benches would hold up due how hard the cemetery’s water is. Gandee said the metal memorial benches in the parks barely last about five years now before the city has to re powder coat them.

“Our suggestion was if we do something like that we’ll have to do either granite or marble, which I don’t have a problem with per se. I just, knowing the well out there, that hard water will eat those metal benches up in no time and I think it’s fantastic that you guys have raised that money to buy it, but then the city is on the hook to keep replenishing it down the road, so I don’t want to put in anything I’m going to have to take out in two or three years and then not have any money to put it back,” he told Nab.

Board member Kelly Lowery asked if they know what the cost would be for granite or marble benches. Gandee said they don’t at this point, but he believes they can find some granite benches that aren’t super expensive.

Another board member, Marty Smock, asked about concrete benches. Gandee said that could be a possibility, but he is trying to stay within the cemetery’s rules and he isn’t sure how much concrete will get eaten up by the water. Plus, all the columbarium miches are granite, so if they have granite benches it would tie in nicely with that.

“I think it’s something we can work through,” Gandee ultimately said about the proposal.

The board directed Gandee and Ulrich to work with Nab to come up with a design and then bring that plan back to them for approval.



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