Downsizing the C.B. cemetery

Another subdivision proposal hits the town

If you want to spend an eternity beneath Crested Butte Mountain but don’t want to pay for a super-sized plot at the local cemetery, your prayers have been answered. Smaller and cheaper gravesites are now available in the Crested Butte Cemetery. Instead of charging $1,000 for the cheapest plot, the town will now offer individual quarter-sized lots for $250.

At the request of Town Clerk Eileen Hughes, the Town Council passed a resolution last Monday allowing some of the standard-sized lots—each can now accommodate five caskets—to be subdivided into single-casket spaces.
Hughes explained in a memo to the council that current lots were 22 feet by 11 feet. That is about four times larger than standard lots sold in other cemeteries. She said the staff has received requests for smaller lots that accommodate one casket or a smaller place for cremated remains to be buried. “Families are generally not as large as in the past, and more single people with no immediate family members are being buried at the Crested Butte cemetery,” she wrote.
The proposal would subdivide 38 full-size lots into 151 quarter-sized lots. Hughes said if approved, there would still be 310 full-sized lots available for sale.
The council agreed with Hughes’ logic and agreed to the plan. They said they would look into whether or not people who currently own larger family-sized plots would be able to subdivide their lots individually. That is not allowed under current regulations.
Hughes also hopes to form a cemetery committee of local citizens who want to spruce up the burial grounds and come up with some guidelines. She also wants to explore the idea of a capital campaign to raise funds for a renovation of the chapel located at the site.
“I know that a lot of people like walking through local cemeteries,” noted Councilperson Roland Mason. “Ours can become an attraction, but I think it needs to be cleaned up.”
“The chapel is definitely Catholic in nature,” said Councilperson Shaun Matusewicz. “It should probably be more secular since it is a town-owned building.”
“It was probably built by the parish back in the 1970s,” said Councilperson Jim Schmidt, “but I agree it should be more secular. Or maybe we allow the other congregations to build their own chapels.”
“Before we do anything with the chapel, we need to get feedback from the public,” said Mayor Aaron Huckstep. He also asked Hughes for a written report on what she sees as the cemetery committee’s ultimate goals and responsibilities.