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Elkhart approves $37,800 survey contract to advance Prairie Street Cemetery expansion plan
Summary
The Board of Works authorized a professional services agreement not to exceed $37,800 for surveying and mapping related to the Prairie Street Cemetery expansion, intended to add roughly 14,000 interment spaces and extend cemetery capacity by about 35 years.
The Elkhart City Board of Works on May 20 authorized the board president to execute a professional services agreement with Survey and Mapping LLC for the Prairie Street Cemetery expansion project, with fees not to exceed $37,800.
Jeff Schafer, assistant city engineer, introduced the project and said the city previously approved a master plan for the cemeteries. Charlie Schoate, cemetery manager, told the board the city owns 10 contiguous acres adjacent to Prairie Street Cemetery—five acres east and five acres south—and that developing that ground would create roughly 14,000 additional interment spaces for cremation and full burials, extending capacity for approximately 35 years.
“We came to you last year, regarding this project for approval of [the] master plan,” Schoate said. He explained that Rice Cemetery is 100% presold, Graceland Cemetery is nearly full, and Prairie Street Cemetery is about 95% sold in plots. Developing the city-owned land is the immediate plan; acquiring adjacent farmland that reaches Mishawaka Road has been discussed for two decades but has not been feasible at a reasonable price.
Board members asked whether the city had budgeted funds for design work; Schoate said the design funding is in the cemetery budget. Andy Jones asked whether the farmland contiguous to the expansion had been or could be acquired and whether the city could allow the farmer to continue farming if purchased; Schoate said acquisition had been discussed and could be an option in the future, but that the current proposal focuses on the land already owned.
The board approved the professional services agreement, with the motion carrying by voice vote. The contract covers surveying and mapping services to support design decisions and budgeting for cemetery construction and was presented as the next step following the master plan approval.
