Council: No Action on New Cemetery Location

Grove City Councilors tabled a decision on where to build Grove's new cemetery, after hearing a lengthy presentation Tuesday night from Ken Kallenbach of MKEC Engineering Consultants. Two sites are being considered, both currently owned by the city: East Site, north of Olympus Cemetery at the southeast corner of East 13th and 640 Road, and North Site, on the west side of North Cherokee/620 Road about one mile north of Third Street.

Kallenbach gave a slight edge to the North Site, based on location and surface features.
However, the city's wastewater treatment plant to the west was a problem that bothered some councilors as well as audience members.

MKEC evaluated both sites on:
Location
Topography
Soils
Water Table
Size
Accessibility
Utilities and Security
Drainage

Here is a summary of each criteria:

Location--East site pro is proximity to Olympus Cemetery for gravesite visitations at both; cons are the city water storage tank as a dominant backdrop feature, and local trips to the east site from churches and funeral homes will be slightly longer. For the North site, pros include the proximity to Buzzard Cemetery, location with regard to the city's present and future population being more convenient, and surface features such as trees and pond. Possible heavy traffic on Cherokee when North Beach is built out was also mentioned.

Topographic Criteria--East site pros offer distant views to the west and south due to elevation changes, but openness of the site will subject it to harsh winter winds.
North site pros offers slight one per cent slope and surroundings offer some protection from harsh winter winds.

Soils--Terracon Company of Tulsa conducted a separate study at a cost of $2640, taking 11 borings at each site. On the East site, at all but two of the 11 bore holes, the depth to rock was 7.5 feet or more; at the North site, at three locations a one-foot layer of weathered limestone was encountered within the upper three feet, but could be broken up by heavy equipment.

Water Table--no problems at either site.

Size--East site has enough space for 110 years of active burial use, while the North site could be used for 155 years with another 10 acres to the west.

Accessibility--East site has all weather road 640 but 13th is unpaved to the east; the North site has Road 284 unpaved on the north.

Utilities and Security--Advantage for the north site, as security is not as much a concern due to visibility from roadway, and site already has water, gas, telephone and electric at the location.

Drainage--East site, a drainageway will need to be provided for a 40 acre basin on the south part of the property; at the North site the minimal slope will require careful grading for runoff and a drainageway will also need to be provided, the report said.

City Manager Bill Galletly offered no suggestion as to which site. "That matter is entirely up to the Council," he said Wednesday.