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Connecticut DVA: state veterans cemetery expansion under way; long-term site search continues

Veterans and Military Affairs Committee · February 25, 2026

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Summary

Commissioner Ron Welch told lawmakers the Connecticut State Veterans Cemetery in Middletown holds 14,602 burial plots and about 3,000 niches; a $2 million VA grant funds a 30%-complete expansion intended to buy ~1,400 cremation plots and push depletion dates out while the state seeks a new 50+ acre site.

Ron Welch, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs, told the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee that cemetery expansion and establishing new cemeteries are top priorities for the department.

Welch provided inventory and timeline details for the Connecticut State Veterans Cemetery in Middletown: 14,602 burial plots and roughly 3,000 niches are on site. The department accepted a $2,000,000 grant from the Federal Department of Veterans Affairs to expand burial cremation plots; Welch said the expansion is approximately 30% complete and that VA grant funds cover construction costs but do not fund property acquisition.

Welch identified depletion projections: full-casket burials are projected to be depleted by July 2035, in-ground cremation plots by September 2027 (the most immediate shortage), and niche availability through 2035. The current expansion is expected to add roughly 1,400 cremation plots and extend capacity by about five and a half years.

Beyond immediate expansion, Welch said the department and the Department of Administrative Services are actively seeking a long-term cemetery site; Administrative Services issued requests for proposals seeking 50+ acres of buildable land, and DVA teams have reviewed and walked 15 candidate sites. Welch said two purchase quotes for a large parcel are currently under negotiation and expected to move to procurement in the coming months.

Committee members asked when the public would be notified about a chosen site. Welch said he expects the department to have more clarity in the next couple of months, pending Administrative Services’ procurement negotiations.

The committee requested the department’s written testimony and data tables showing current counts, usage and projected depletion dates. No vote was taken during the hearing.