HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-4-14 NANTUCKET CEMETERY /
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Posted Meeting of April 14, 2021, at 3:00 pm
Virtual Meeting via Zoom Video Conference
DRAFT MINUTES FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL
Attendance: Commissioners: Frances Karttunen, Scott McIver, Allen Reinhard (Chair), Lee
Saperstein, and Barbara White; Cemetery Administrator, Rob McNeil; Staff: Isabel Jordan,
DPW, Ken Beaugrand, Real Estate Specialist.
1. Call to Order.
Chair Allen Reinhard called the meeting to order at 3:02 pm. A roll-call of attendees showed
that all commissioners were present and that a quorum existed.
2. Public Comment.
There was no public comment.
3. Approval of Minutes from March 10, 2021.
Frances Karttunen moved, Barbara White seconded, and the Commission unanimously approved
the minutes from the meeting of March 10, 2021. The vote was by roll call.
4. Approval of Lot Sales Since Last Meeting.
Allen Reinhard reminded the commissioners that a lot application had been sent to them by e-
mail and that we now had to act on it. The application was from Diane Christine Asche, 12
Seikinnow Place,Nantucket, for Lot C-12 in Polpis Cemetery. Approval by roll-call vote was
unanimously in favor upon a motion by Lee Saperstein, seconded by Barbara White.
Isabel Jordan indicated that, based on conversations with applicants, we could have two or three
applications in the May meeting.
5. Burial Plot for Cremains Abandoned with Town Clerk.
The Town Clerk,Nancy Holmes, told Allen Reinhard that the Clerk's office was storing a half-
dozen or so sets of cremains. Over the past two decades, her office and her predecessor had
acquired, probably by default, up to 20 packages of the cremains of indigent residents. Over the
years, the office had managed to locate many of the heirs or other responsible parties but the
Town Clerk now felt that the last remaining ones should now be interred. She asked Allen
Reinhard if the Commission had provisions for burial of the cremains of unclaimed residents, in
what is often called a"Potter's Field."
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Lee Saperstein recalled that the ground-penetrating radar, GPR, survey of Newtown Cemetery
revealed a number of burials in the northeastern corner by Sparks Avenue and Nantucket
Autobody that were close enough together potentially to be a Potter's Field. They were not
spaced as far apart as those graves that had monuments. Allen Reinhard asked Rob McNeil what
he knew about a potential Potter's Field. According to Rob McNeil, there are two projects
underway adjacent to the cemetery: a drainage project along Cow Pond Lane and a "Complete
Streets" project for sidewalks along Pleasant Street, Sparks Avenue, and Williams Lane.
Consultants from Richard Grubb and Associates, http: www.richardwrubb.com index phi), are
assisting with the design of these projects. Mary Lynne Rainey, Principal Senior Archaeologist,
is looking at the GPR report and helping the Town to assess burial locations and other historical
features of Newtown Cemetery;
Allen Reinhard asked, if the Commission chose to demark a Potter's Field, how we would mark
it. Lee Saperstein suggested that, no matter whether we chose to do the burials in Polpis now or
wait until we have permission for new burials in Newtown Cemetery, our current rules allow up
to four cremains interments per lot and we would need only two lots to accommodate those
cremains in the Clerk's Office. Scott McIver volunteered to donate a memorial stone when we
do the interments. He asked if names and dates for the deceased were available and Allen
Reinhard said that the would ask the Town Clerk. [Action: Allen Reinhard to ask the Town
Clerk for more information on the deceased and to return this item to a future agenda for a
decision on where to locate Nantucket's Potter's Field.]
The mention of Newtown Cemetery caused Lee Saperstein to ask Ken Beaugrand if we had any
more information about the progress of the Commission's request to the Select Board for a
determination of Newtown Cemetery's boundaries. Ken Beaugrand replied that it was on the
Town Counsel's agenda for action but had not moved materially upward in quite a while. Allen
Reinhard asked if additional pressure from the Commission would help.
Rob McNeil suggested that the Commission examine its regulations on interment of cremains
and look at alternatives in use elsewhere such as a designated location for scattering them or
burial without a container.
6. Cemetery Surveys Update.
Allen Reinhard explained that there are two kinds of surveys under consideration in this agenda
item: monument conditions and land surveys of the cemeteries themselves. He asked Rob
McNeil and Scott McIver if there was any progress on the monument surveys. Rob McNeil
replied that yes there was. He had reached out to Jason Harpe, Director of Cemetery
Conservation for Richard Grubb and Associates, who estimated that there were around 2500
monuments in the Town cemeteries in need of restoration. He estimated that the work can be
done for around $40,000 and will follow up with a draft contract for our consideration.
Rob McNeil reported that the monument survey will need to tie the monuments to their location
in the cemeteries and, thus, each cemetery will need a property and topographic survey before
monuments can be located and designated for restoration. He is awaiting a proposal from the
Town's contracted surveyor for this work. It may be possible to do the surveying field work
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with a drone. Lee Saperstein asked if these surveys would be recordable and Rob McNeil
suggested that the property and topographic survey needed to come first and a recordable version
could come later. Allen Reinhard commented that it will be nice to see this work begin and the
Community Preservation Grant disbursed as it was intended.
7. Polpis Cemetery and Quaise Monument Latest Developments.
Allen Reinhard reported that, although still under consideration, there has been no activity to
report on the potential land swap at Polpis. Discussions are still underway and he may have a
fuller report at the next meeting.
Scott Mclver's recent mailing of photographs of the Quaise monument shows that it is fully
inscribed and ready for installation. He would like to meet with Allen Reinhard at the cemetery
to pick a spot for it. Allen Reinhard said that he had put a stick in the ground where he thought it
best to locate it but is happy to go out there to be sure that a good spot is chosen.
Frances Karttunen then said that its installation deserves a recognition ceremony. At the
moment, the pandemic rules limit public gatherings to 12 people but it is hoped that this limit
will be raised soon. Meanwhile, Barbara White suggested that the Commission, prepare a news
release for the Inquirer and Mirror and the Nantucket Historical Association. Frances Karttunen
offered to help with writing it and Barbara White also suggested that it be sent as well to NCTV
18 and the local radio stations.
Allen Reinhard also reported that he had been in conversation with the DPW sign shop on
creating directional signs for the cemetery: "Historic Cemetery' plus arrow to go at the
intersection of Altar Rock Road and the Polpis Road and "Cemetery" plus arrow to go at the
parking spots on Altar Rock Road. Rob McNeil said that a work order had been created for the
signs and asked Isabel Jordan to follow up on it. [Action: Frances Karttunen to create press
release; Isabel Jordan to follow up on work order.]
In a separate issue, Frances Karttunen reported that the directional sign on North Mill Street to
the Historic Coloured Cemetery has disappeared. Rob McNeil said that he would add its
replacement to the work order.
8. Cemetery Projects List.
Discussion of this item started in Agenda Item 7. and continued to here. Allen Reinhard
reported first on the blooming of the daffodils that had been planted late last year; they are
coming up nicely and should be in full bloom in a week or so. At the Historic Coloured
Cemetery, fencing has been replaced on three sides. The fourth side, facing Vesper Lane is
vegetated and he felt that it should remain that way. Frances Karttunen said that it should be
fenced instead so that the entry from the Vesper Lane footpath was well marked. Allen Reinhard
suggested that we return to this issue of a fence after the vegetation had greened up.
He commented also that the fencing at New and Old North Cemeteries needs to be renewed. He
then went on to say that the Cemetery Projects List(attached) is an informal reminder of things
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that need to be worked on or reviewed. Looking at the list, however, shows that all items on it
have been covered in this meeting.
9. Commissioners Comments, Old, New and Other Business.
Under old business, Allen Reinhard reported that the entry way into Founders' Burial Ground
was eroded and may be difficult to traverse. He also noted truck tracks going from the way into
the cemetery. He thought that the cemetery entry needed some sort of barrier. Also, the parking
areas at Founders and the Historic Coloured Cemetery were tight and overgrown and could be
trimmed. He replied to Frances Karttunen's suggestion for a sign asking people not to drive into
the cemetery with an observation that signs were often ignored. Lee Saperstein suggested that
we follow the advice of the DPW on road condition and barriers and Rob McNeil said that he
would look into these issues. Allen Reinhard said also that he picked up any litter that he found
during his inspections of the cemeteries.
10. Adjournment came by consensus at 3:59 pm.
Next regular meeting: Wednesday, May 12,2021, at 3:00 pm by Zoom Video Conferencing
Respectfully submitted: ; Date:
Lee W. Saperstein, Secretary
Nantucket Cemetery Projects List.
Cemetery monument condition survey.
Consolidation of lots at Newtown Cemetery with recordable ground survey.
Split rail fence at Polpis Cemetery.
Survey to lay out additional lots at Polpis.
Toe and lot corner markers for new Polpis lots when laid out.
Dedication of new monument at Quaise Asylum Burial Ground.
Fencing at the Historic Coloured Cemetery.
Fencing and brush removal at New and Old North Cemeteries.
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