West Hartford Cemetery Expansion On Hold

WEST HARTFORD, CT — Town plans to expand a full cemetery hit a small snag this week as the West Hartford Plan and Zoning Commission failed to take a vote on the matter.

Citing multiple questions and concerns, the PZC, instead, voted 5-0 to extend the matter to the next PZC meeting Aug. 8.

The Town of West Hartford is seeking PZC approval to expand 52-acre Fairview Cemetery, located at 200 Whitman Ave., by 360 additional gravesites.

A town-hired land-use consultant, BSC Group out of Boston, Mass., has recommended "the parcel located inside the cemetery, near its entrance, would best serve as the location for expansion," wrote West Hartford Department of Public Works Operations Manager Brooke Nelson to the commission.

But "after detailed discussions and deliberations," according to draft meeting minutes from Wednesday, the PZC opted to extend the application process a month.

The PZC, essentially, sought added details about specific plans for the site, including traffic patterns, tree plantings and other landscaping as well as how to better screen the new gravesites from public view.

In continuing the application process to August, PZC members asked:

• The town "consider planting white oaks in place of red maples where appropriate."

• West Hartford "explore options to prevent vehicle conflicts between those coming in and out of the cemetery and those parking to visit gravesites in the new burial area."

• The town "explore options for additional plantings along the road frontage on both the east and west sides of the cemetery entrance drive in order to better screen the burial areas."

• The town "consider eliminating the southerly-most row of proposed gravesites in order to allow for additional screening opportunities."

• West Hartford "clarify on the plan the gravesites being added as part of this application."

• Town staff review whether the West Hartford Cemetery Advisory Board is an active board and, if yes, what its roll is in this type of application.

For the draft minutes of the July 6 West Hartford Plan and Zoning Commission meeting, click on this link.

For cemetery project plans, click on this link.

'West Hartford: Packed Cemetery Must Expand'