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President's Letter:
Paul Elvig , ICCFA president for 2007-2008
Don't rely on a crystal ball
Recently I found myself going through hundreds of old maps involving dedication of cemetery land, design and future use plans and inventory control. The goal of the project at hand was to have these old documents scanned and electronically committed for use by future generations.
As a cemeterian, I was struck by the importance of design with a vision. Before me were plans (schemes) that would allow for traffic flow, utility installation and public access. It became quite clear to me that planners for Evergreen and Washelli Cemeteries were paying careful attention to the impact that roadways, plantings and features would have on irrigation, mobility of equipment and public access as it related to maintenance. I couldn't help but reflect on the importance of the cemetery planner. It was fascinating to see the attention to every hillside, valley and dale and to how land use would affect the surrounding community in the future.
Impact on endowment care funds is most notable when the planner commits concepts to the drawing board. The higher the density in land use, the more contributions the care funds will realize. The more complicated the maintenance design, the more demand placed on those funds.
Looking into time's telescope, the planner is asked to anticipate consumer preferences a half century in the future. During the last 50 years, our state (Washington) has seen annual cremation percentages grow from around 18 percent to nearly 70 percent. How can the long-term planner foresee this? Can it be foreseen? Can it be addressed? Is it possible to over plan? But without a plan, you introduce chaos.
Multiple use of burial sites, i.e., double- and triple-depth burials, were seldom found in cemetery plans during the early part of the last century. Today both cemetery operators and the community expect them.
What will we be maintaining in the future? One might say it is obvious: roads, avenues, lawns, plantings, perimeters and access. In preparing old cemetery maps for scanning, I was struck by the vision of the cemetery planner of yesteryear. I have seen the wisdom of various cemetery planners around my state. Future maintenance was their primary focus.
When planning for the cemetery of the future, one should consider future community needs. What will the community look for in its cemeteries 100 years from now? Consider this: As cities grow and as population density increases, cemeteries become among the few large open spaces found within urban and suburban areas.
How will cemetery planners complement the community of the future? Is the current growing interest in our environment, global warming and recycling a passing phenomenon, or a portent of value systems that will become fundamental to future cemetery usage?
As you scan the pages of this issue of your ICCFA Magazine, take special note of articles that deal with the questions raised in this column and of those who advertise their planning and design services. If your cemetery is going to open additional acreage and develop it for use during the next century, it seems it would be wise to involve a professional planner. Might I suggest it is not simply wise but incumbent on you to do so?
On my desk I keep a crystal ball for discussion's sake only; it has not been a good planning tool. To address future maintenance and planning issues, we need more than crystal balls, we need professionals. Such professionals are involved in and affiliated with the ICCFA.
Paul Elvig
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