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Pleasant Grove considers memorial and dedicated "babyland" area at city cemetery
Summary
Council members and staff discussed creating a monument and seating area to recognize miscarriage losses, a proposed small-plot "babyland," and possible donated bronzes from the Cook family. Staff said the city can fund a memorial from the cemetery fund balance or budget and is continuing talks with a donor family about additional sculptures.
Pleasant Grove city staff asked the City Council on Tuesday to approve continuing development of a memorial and small, dedicated burial area at the city cemetery for pregnancy loss and neonatal deaths.
City staff (unidentified), a city staff member, said the proposal grew from conversations with a family who had experienced late-term miscarriage and asked the city for a place to mourn. "Our preferences is we just create a memorial, a monument and a place for somebody to sit and to just have a place of recognition for those that are in that situation," the staff member said.
The proposal is not to remove existing burial plots but to place a half‑round planter and monument in a landscaped area west of the pavilion in the cemetery's new section, staff said. The city estimates the monument, including one or two benches, at roughly $5,000–$10,000 and said the cost could be paid from the cemetery fund balance or included in the budget. Staff also noted there may be leftover bond dollars from Cook Family Park infrastructure that could apply.
Why it matters: proponents said a dedicated place responds to requests from residents who said there is no place in Pleasant Grove to mourn some pregnancy losses. The council and staff emphasized the memorial would provide a location to reflect or grieve without altering existing full-size lots.
Council members and other speakers raised questions about land use and capacity. A council member (unidentified), asked whether the memorial would replace any plots or how much land it would take. City staff replied the monument would be placed in a landscaped area and "would not take up any lots." Staff also described a separate proposal for a small, dedicated 20‑lot area—described as a "babyland"—in the new cemetery section; the city said those lots would be smaller than standard lots and could fit about 20 infant interments in the space that otherwise might contain eight to ten standard plots.
Multiple council members and a speaker who identified a personal loss supported the idea of an "angel" or remembrance statue and noted other Utah cities have similar spaces. One council member who spoke about a personal infant loss said burial on private family property had been expensive and that a low‑cost option is an important consideration.
Staff also said they have been approached by a member of the Cook family about donating bronze artwork for the cemetery and nearby park. "We've had high level discussions with them," the city staff member said. Staff described those talks as early stage and said any donated bronzes would require city permission because the cemetery and park are city property. The Cook family proposals could include multiple bronzes; staff said they will return with the family's designs for council review.
What happens next: staff will continue work on monument specifications and site placement, seek input from the Cook family on any donated art, and return to the council with more detailed proposals and cost breakdowns. The city noted that landscaping and grass installation at the cemetery site is already underway and that Cook Family Park has an official opening scheduled for June 7.
