Douglas County will soon be home to its first active cemetery in more than 100 years.
Douglas County Commissioners recently approved a plan to install a 33-acre cemetery in the northwest part of the county just south of where Titan Road turns into Rampart Range Road. The Gardens Group LLC submitted the application earlier this year for the Seven Stones cemetery.
Doug Flin, a partner with Seven Stones, said this will be the fifth active cemetery installed in 138 years in the county.
“Other than that, there’s not much offering for people in the south metro area,” Flin said. “We’re kind of the hole in the doughnut.”
Flin said the cemetery will be a blend of traditional burial plots, possibly 1,000 per acre, and a memorial garden and mausoleum with possibly 4,000-5,000 spaces for cremated remains. He said the partners have been watching the growth in the county and want to be very flexible with the space for whatever needs arise with population growth, Flin said.
Visitors will first come upon a discovery center where they can see what their choices are for a memorial. There will be a lot of native plants, a minimal amount of green turf and minimal roads. Flin said they want to keep the project as sustainable as possible, which includes “green” burials, in which bodies are buried in biodegradable pods. Residents also will be able to memorialize their pets there.
“We want to create a venue where people feel comfortable coming out and having a good time reconnecting with their loved one,” Flin said.
Commissioner Jack Hilbert said the cemetery is important because Douglas County is one of the fastest-aging counties in the state.
“For people who want to put their remains in the cemetery, we’re going to need those services and options,” Hilbert said.
Flin said the partners hope to break ground in the spring and open in fall 2014.
Clayton Woullard: 303-954-2671, cwoullard@denverpost.com or
