Cemetery expansion will add 3,500 burial spaces plus beautification features.

The City Council voted Tuesday to remove the moratorium on cemetery lots in American Fork. The moratorium, which has been in effect for 10 years, was a result of not having enough room at the current cemetery.

With the moratorium lifted — in a 5-to-0 vote — residents and non-residents can once again buy burial spots. These will be available first to those whose names have been on a waiting list. City cemetery management plans to reach out to those on the waiting list through phone calls and direct mail. Lots will cost $1,200 each.

Beginning Monday, Sept. 22, lot sales will be open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. To purchase a lot, or to ask questions about buying lots, you can call the City Cemetery at (801) 763-3095 or email to: jwright@afcity.net.

Since the moratorium went into effect, lots have only been available to those with an immediate need. However, in late August, the City Council approved expansion of the current cemetery which will reconfigure and re-landscape the current Filly and Pony fields, located north of the American Fork Fitness Center, and a section of 600 North.

“This cemetery expansion is great news for those who want to plan ahead for their families,” said Mayor J.H. Hadfield. “It keeps generations of dearly departed together, so those who remain can easily and respectfully honor loved ones who have ties to American Fork.”

The current cemetery rests on 23 acres of well-manicured land with about 23,500 burial plots – most of which have already been sold. Only about 400 lots currently remain open for purchase. The newly approved cemetery will add about 3,500 spaces which could be used for double-deep burial lots and allow burial land for the next several years.

Expansion construction, which is anticipated to cost about $500,000, will begin in early October of this year and is anticipated to be completed in May 2015.

The new cemetery will have road access, a Children’s Garden with water feature and benches, a memorial for local heroes, and a large American flag that will extend 120 feet into the air.

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