Arlington Cemetery, which holds the gravesites of historical city figures, may soon become open to contemporary newsmakers who would like to be buried in a historically significant resting place thanks to a change in state law.
Mayor Jim Ross said living people who have contributed to the city have expressed interest in being interred at the cemetery.
“There are significant people who are a part of this community who have expressed an interest to be buried out there when they pass,” Ross said Tuesday evening at a council meeting.
However, state law has kept the city from selling or allowing a third party to sell plots because of the way the city took ownership of the land. The city in 1995 invoked Chapter 713 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, which let the city government take responsibility for the land but prevented them from selling new plots. For decades, only members of families who purchased plots before the ownership change could be interred.
That changed in September under H.B. 2371, a bill that created provisions for cities to sell plots. Cities that wish to sell plots must have owned and maintained a cemetery for at least 25 years; hold public hearings for existing plots to be declared abandoned before they’re sold; and create an appeals process for plots deemed abandoned. Arlington-area state Reps. David Cook and Chris Turner and Sens. Royce West and Kelly Hancock sponsored the bill at the behest of city leaders.
The city planned to run a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) investigation in November to identify occupied gravesites and areas for new plots through the company Terracon, Inc., but the equipment malfunctioned and was sent to Italy for repairs. The city will proceed with other GPR methods from other businesses if Terracon’s equipment does not return by mid-January.
“The first step is figuring out what we have in the ground there now,” said Sarah Stubblefield, acting strategic initiatives officer.
From there, the city will draft an ordinance for council vote outlining cemetery policies; identify owners; conduct the cemetery abandonment process; and identify a cemetery operator.
Arlington’s Parks and Recreation Department, which maintains the cemetery grounds, has recently made efforts to touch up the area including planting and fertilizing rye grass, pruning trees and removing dead trees and underbrush.
Ross said he’d like to see longer-term beautification efforts.
“What I’d love to see happen is that we treat Arlington Cemetery almost like the Capitol cemetery in Austin,” Ross said.
The city in 2022 posted QR codes and an interactive map detailing the history of the cemetery and those interred.
Got a tip? Email Kailey Broussard at kbroussard@kera.org.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
