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Advisory board outlines Pinewood Cemetery restoration and tree challenges
Summary
The Pinewood Cemetery advisory chair and preservation staff described decades of neglect and vandalism, removal of invasive plants and a volunteer-driven restoration plan; the board will finalize a restoration plan, timeline and budget for staff review.
The commission heard a detailed history and restoration plan update for Pinewood Cemetery from advisory chair John Swain and preservation staff. Swain traced the cemetery's origins to the 1890s, described decades of abandonment and vandalism, and outlined recent volunteer cleanups that removed over 22,000 pounds of invasive plants. A recent tree survey identified more than 770 trees, including dozens of large Australian pines that have damaged graves and complicate restoration work.
Swain and preservation staff said volunteers and partners (including FIU landscape architecture students) had produced design concepts and held a recent Pioneer Day that drew descendants and local interest. The board is preparing a prioritized restoration list and expects to hand a final plan, timeline, and budget to city preservation staff for implementation.
Commissioners and staff stressed that removal of large pines requires careful work to avoid disturbing grave sites and that the next phase will include tree-removal sequencing, archaeological or gravesite protections, and cost estimates. The commission asked staff to coordinate the restoration plan, identify funding sources, and return with a schedule and budget for the work.
Next steps: the Pinewood Cemetery advisory board will deliver a finalized restoration plan to the preservation office for a project budget and timeline; the preservation team will identify funding sources and coordinate safe tree removal.
