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Nicholasville acquires property for cemetery expansion

July 02, 2012|By Mike Moore | mmoore@jessaminejournal.com

The city of Nicholasville has reached an agreement to purchase property at 401, 403 and 405 N. Central Ave. so it can expand the Maple Grove Cemetery, commissioner Andy Williams said.

“In the past year, we have been negotiating with the current owners of the property on North Central Avenue, which is (Jessamine County Sheriff) Kevin Corman and his wife, Tammy,” Williams said.

The city will pay the Cormans $275,000 for the property, which is about 2 acres, appraised near $300,000.

Most of the money ($250,000) for the purchase will come from the cemetery perpetual fund, while the remaining $25,000 will come from the fiscal-year 2012 general fund budget.

Williams and Mayor Russ Meyer said the property purchase is key for the cemetery’s future.

“At the current rate, we’ve got about 300 graves left in our cemetery, which will probably last maybe two or three years,” Williams said. “More than a year ago, we started making some plans for the future, and Kevin and his wife came to us and started talking about it. And we’ve had many closed sessions about it, and we finally come to terms with Kevin.”

By adding the 2 acres to Maple Grove, the city will increase the cemetery’s capacity by 1,100 graves.

“That should last us for 15-plus years,” Williams said.

Meyer said the cemetery, which the city took over in the early 1990s, has proven to be costly to operate. The purchased property will enable to city to generate some revenue, he said, but most importantly, it serves as the final resting place of those who helped make Nicholasville what it is today.

“We’ve tried to make some moves in the last year to better the (financial) situation,” Meyer said. “This will give the cemetery life for the years to come.”

Meyer said the 1,100 new plots will generate nearly $88,000 per year as the plots are sold.

“It’s a win-win for the city because it’s generating income, and it’s giving availability to new plots,” Meyer said.

Last August, the city increased its cemetery fees.

The charge for opening and closing the graves for the burial of city and Jessamine County residents before 3 p.m. will be $800, up from $600. The cost of burying a loved one after 3 p.m. will jump to $1,000, from $700.

Williams said once the sale is finalized, the city would start getting the property ready for cemetery use. That includes tearing down the structures, removing trees and hauling in dirt.

Currently, renters live at two of the address, but Williams said those who live there would be given adequate notice before they have to move.

“We won’t talk to them until we get all of the paperwork and deeds and stuff done,” Williams said.

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