DERRY — With only about 55 spots remaining to bury the town's dead, officials said Forest Hill Cemetery will soon be full.
That's why the cemetery's newest section will soon be available for burial lots, offering acres of expanded space adjacent to the current graveyard in East Derry.
Director of Public Works Mike Fowler, along with Superintendent of Operations Alan Cote came before town council to discuss the new burial space and how much it would cost residents to bury loved ones there.
Derry began planning for an expansion of the historic 23-acre Forest Hill cemetery several years ago. The town purchased eight acres of property adjacent to Forest Hill in 2002 — the Klaudia Shepard property — anticipating the need for more burial space.
Now, as Forest Hill reaches its capacity, Fowler said it's time to set a fee structure for graves and plots in the newest cemetery section.
"The older section will sell out," he told council. "In early 2010 [we will be offering] burials in the new area. We will need to have a fee structure for that section."
Right now, Fowler said single burial lots go for $500, with $200 for the lot price, and the remaining $300 for the perpetual care of the grave site.
The new section of Forest Hill will offer 1,466 lots, with the fee set at $725 per lot. A family-type grave could hold several full-size graves, or even more if cremation is chosen, Fowler said.
"It's a difficult expense," Fowler noted of the burial price, "but we want to provide a fair price."
He said the department did a survey of area towns and their cemetery fee structures as they made decisions on Forest Hill costs.
Cote added many families are choosing cremation, mainly because of the cost versus a full burial.
Fowler said the department will bring regulations forward about specific lot sizes and what rules will be in place for families and their purchased gravesites. He said existing regulations will mostly remain the same.
Plots in the newer section will open up in spring of 2010. Fowler added about 65-75 plots have typically been sold per year at Forest Hill.
Forest Hill is located in the historic area of East Derry, near First Parish Church. Many of the area's earliest settlers are buried there. A new volunteer group is in place to help care for the grave yard and its aging stones. For information, contact Friends of Forest Hill at forest_hill_cemetery07@yahoo.com.
