Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Historic Preservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission approves minor plat to protect historic cemetery at Veil Springs Road
Summary
The commission approved a minor plat allowing the city to install a protective fence and memorial at a historic cemetery on 2905/2919 Veil Springs Road; staff said hotel-occupancy tax funds will help pay for the work and that about 25 pioneers are believed buried there.
The Planning & Zoning Commission approved a minor plat application to enable construction of a perimeter fence and placement of memorial markers at the historic cemetery located at 2905 and 2919 Veil Springs Road. Staff told the commission the site—home to the Opal J. Smith Food Pantry and the Balch Springs Senior Center—was deeded to the city by Dallas County and had suffered vandalism; staff proposed installing an iron fence around graves and placing memorial markers for unmarked burials. City staff described prior actions by the Tourism Advisory Committee and City Council to use hotel occupancy tax funds for surveying and historical marking of the site.
Linda from the Community Experience Department summarized historical research and geophysical survey results, saying the city expects to install a single large memorial marker for many pioneers rather than numerous individual markers because anomalies in the survey make exact placements uncertain. She said there are three known headstones and roughly 25 pioneers believed buried there. Commissioners voted to approve the minor plat so the city may proceed with fencing and memorialization work.
