TO: ADAM PIRRIE, CITY MANAGER
FROM: JEREMY SWAN, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
DATE: APRIL 23, 2024
Reviewed by:
City Manager: AP
SUBJECT:
Title
OAK PARK CEMETERY EXPANSION - PHASE 3 CONCEPTUAL DESIGN (FUNDING SOURCES: CEMETERY FUND AND MEASURE W FUND)
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SUMMARY
The City of Claremont owns approximately eight acres of undeveloped property north of Oak Park Cemetery. Per the Oak Park Cemetery Master Plan, this property will be developed into additional cemetery property as part of a phased expansion process. In 2013, the City of Claremont completed the first phase of development. A second phase was opened for sale in 2023. Due to consistently high demand and sales, there are only approximately 450 full burial spaces available for sale. Without expansion, it is estimated that available property at Oak Park Cemetery could be sold out in as few as three to four years.
To provide additional plots for sale, staff commissioned a conceptual design for Phase 3 of the Oak Park Cemetery Expansion Project. The conceptual design for the Phase 3 expansion and the related project financials are outlined in this report.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the City Council:
A. Approve the conceptual design for the Phase 3 Oak Park Cemetery Expansion Project;
B. Authorize the City Manager to execute a professional services agreement with RJM Design Group in the amount of $85,650 to prepare construction plans for bidding the Phase 3 Oak Park Cemetery Expansion Project;
C. Appropriate $70,350 from the Cemetery Fund and $15,300 from the Measure W Fund to cover the cost to prepare plans and specifications; and
D. Find this item is exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
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ALTERNATIVE TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the recommendation, there is the following alternative:
• Request additional information.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Estimated Project Costs
The cost to prepare project plans and specifications is $85,650. Staff proposes appropriating $70,350 from the Cemetery Fund and $15,300 from the Measure W Fund to cover the cost of these services. Measure W funds will be utilized to conduct infiltration soil testing and develop the low impact development plan to manage stormwater on site. The preliminary Engineer’s Estimate for construction costs is $1,298,158. After including a fifteen percent contingency and estimated project management and inspection services, the total estimated project cost is $1,642,170.
Available Funds
The Cemetery Fund has a current cash balance of approximately $1.04 million. Staff proposes to keep a minimum of fifteen percent of the Cemetery’s annual operational cost in the fund balance per City Policy, totaling approximately $106,000. This would leave approximately $938,000 remaining to invest in expansion and an estimated $704,170 shortfall. The shortfall is proposed to be covered by a temporary loan from the City’s General Fund.
Revenue Potential / Cost Recovery
For the past three years, Oak Park Cemetery revenues have exceeded expenditures by an average of approximately $320,000 per year. This trend is expected to continue, as sales from the Phase 3 expansion would help to ensure continued sales revenues. Based upon the historic surpluses, it is estimated that Oak Park Cemetery could pay back the proposed General Fund loan in approximately three years. At current prices, the estimated revenue potential over the life of the expansion project is over $5.6 million.
ANALYSIS
Background
The Oak Park Cemetery Expansion Project - Phase 3 Conceptual Design is now available for review. The project will ensure that Oak Park Cemetery continues to have sellable property. This is important, as annual sales revenues cover the costs of sales, services, and ongoing maintenance for the developed cemetery, including landscape care, water, utilities, and tree care. Oak Park Cemetery currently has approximately 450 full grave spaces available for sale. The Cemetery averages approximately 120 sales per year, and as the cemetery reaches capacity, choices will be limited. It is important to pursue the expansion project in 2024 to ensure that Oak Park Cemetery continues to have a variety of burial options for families and to preserve sales revenue that supports ongoing operations.
Conceptual Design
The Phase 3 conceptual design includes the following features: approximately 995 new in-ground grave sites, a prefabricated restroom with two individual stalls and a new sewer lateral connection, an expanded parking lot, an extended roadway to provide vehicular access to the new area, new fencing to screen off the undeveloped property, and new trees and landscaping to provide a similar tree density to the historic cemetery once established.
Next Steps
The City will contract with RJM Design Group to provide the construction plans in preparation for bidding the Phase 3 Expansion in winter 2024-25. Construction bids will be reviewed and approved by the City Council as part of the contract award, allowing an additional opportunity to evaluate the project financials and any proposed General Fund loan. If approved, construction would occur in 2025 and is anticipated to take approximately nine months. Oak Park Cemetery operations would continue uninterrupted during construction.
RELATIONSHIP TO CITY PLANNING DOCUMENTS
Staff has evaluated the agenda item in relationship to the City’s strategic and visioning documents and finds that it applies to the following City Planning Documents: Council Priorities, Sustainable City Plan, Economic Sustainability Plan, General Plan, and the 2022-24 Budget.
CEQA REVIEW
The Oak Park Cemetery Expansion Project is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15304 of the Guidelines in that the project involves only minor alterations to land. Therefore, no additional environmental review is needed at this time.
COUNCIL COMMITTEE/COMMISSION REVIEW
On March 5, 2024, the Friends of Oak Park Cemetery reviewed and approved the conceptual design. The Friends of Oak Park Cemetery also expressed an interest in donating funds to add additional plantings along the proposed new fence line separating the Phase 3 Expansion from the undeveloped cemetery property. Staff and the landscape architect will consider this requested addition and associated costs as part of the plan development process. The Friends of Oak Park Cemetery provided a letter of support for the conceptual design, which is included as Attachment C.
On April 3, 2024, the Community and Human Services Commission approved the conceptual design for the Phase 3 Oak Park Cemetery Expansion Project, recommended that the landscape designer be present at the meeting at which the City Council will consider the item, and recommended that the City Council consider performing a site visit prior to the meeting. An excerpt from the April 3, 2024 Community and Human Services Commission meeting is included as Attachment D to this report. The City Council was provided with an opportunity to tour the site prior to the April 23, 2024 City Council meeting.
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
The agenda and staff report for this item have been posted on the City website and distributed to interested parties. If you desire a copy, please contact the City Clerk’s Office.
Submitted by: Prepared by:
Jeremy Swan Kristin Mikula
Community Services Director Community Services Manager
Attachments:
A - Oak Park Cemetery Phase 3 Conceptual Design
B - Oak Park Cemetery Phase 3 Restroom Design
C - Friends of Oak Park Cemetery Letter of Support
D - Excerpt from the Draft 04-03-24 Community and Human Services Commission Meeting Minutes