As Carrboro continues to weigh the future of its cemeteries, the town council recently signed off on some improvements to each of its two.
During its meeting on February 7, the Carrboro Town Council approved a combined and estimated $135,000 for upgrades to the Old Carrboro Cemetery and Westwood Cemetery in the upcoming budget cycle.
The Old Carrboro Cemetery, which is between Sweet Bay Place and Brewer Lane off the Libba Cotten Bikeway, will receive new fencing. The land, which has been a cemetery since the 1910s, recently reached capacity for burials in early 2022.
Meanwhile, the Westwood Cemetery — which is at the corner of Fidelity Street and Davie Road — could see more creative improvements. Town council approved plans for a rain garden to limit erosion and upgrade stormwater management, as well as treen plantings, new benches and decorative lighting.
While Westwood Cemetery still has plots available for people to buy, its space is also beginning to dwindle. The town government says, as of January 1 this year, Westwood had 102 plots left for purchase — with approximately half of the space is currently undeveloped and unplotted.
In a recent conversation with 97.9 The Hill, Carrboro Mayor Damon Seils said determining the next steps for that larger property has been challenging.
“There’s been some discussion over the past couple of years about how to address that [undeveloped space]” he said. “How much, if any, of the property do we use to plot out burial plots? There’s some interest among some of the nearby neighbors of the property in maintaining some of that existing green space.”
During a discussion in October about the cemeteries and the cost for burial plots, the town council heard early concepts for a memorial garden, walking paths or options for green burials in Westwood Cemetery. In February, council members requested another work session be held to map out future plans for the pair of town-run cemeteries and revisit those earlier options.
Seils said the issue has drummed up some passionate responses from residents who believe Westwood ought to be expanded and those wishes to keep it largely undeveloped. He encouraged those interested — and even those unsure about what direction they prefer — to reach out to council members and share their thoughts.
“I’m an optimistic person in general, I hope that we can come to some compromise,” said Seils. “This really is a conversation that cuts across religious traditions, cultural traditions, generational traditions and trends. I think some interests have been presented as opposing interests, but I think [they] are potentially mutually acceptable — if we can come to some compromise.”
More information about the Town of Carrboro’s cemetery options and care can be found here.
Photo via the Town of Carrboro.
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