With landscaping and irrigation crews currently four months into renovation work being done at Grand View Memorial Park, cemetery representatives tell me that they anticipate the park will be once again visitor-ready in May. No specific dates have been officially announced. The last public opening was held on Sunday, December 5, 2010.
This week I spoke with attorney David Baum, who represents Grand View operator Moe Goldsman, and he confirmed a checklist of accomplishments to-date since my last report in January:
Trees - trimming of all trees has been completed, as well as grinding down of many large stumps left from trees that were cut down several years ago.
Water - a second water meter has been installed by the City of Glendale to supply recycled water for the new irrigation system running throughout the park. The main irrigation lines, secondary lines, sprinklers and control systems are in the process of being installed. This painstaking process has been accomplished with a trencher around section perimeters and hand-digging elsewhere.
Bathrooms - Water has been restored to the bathrooms outside the administration office and facilities have been cleaned and sanitized. Buh-bye porta-john!
New Grave Sites - areas near both mausoleums have been cleared of debris and are now under development for new burial sites which will be available for purchase in the future. Specifically, the non-working cement pool in front of the West Mausoleum has been removed, making room for about six new spaces.
Most noticably, the area to the east of the North Mausoleum has been cleared of cypress trees and the three delapidated steel sheds they covered, and a sizeable dirt hill behind Babyland and Section H has been completely leveled to make way for many more future graves.
Here's a short video to help illustrate the progress made so far:
Additionally, funeral director Reg Duran tells me that burials for people who had pre-need arrangements, some disinterments and numerous marker installations continue to take during the renovation phase, all through the same court order process as before.
If you have questions about these services, please contact David M. Baum, Attorney for Grand View, (310) 990-3660 or via email at david.baum@dbaumlaw.com or Paul R. Ayers, Class Plaintiffs Counsel, (818) 760-0100 or via email at payers@zinderkoch.com.
The renovation is part of the class action settlement and final judgement that was handed down last year. $500,000 of the $3.8 million settlement was set aside for the work.
A special shout out to the crews from Emerald Landscaping Services and Leonard Chaidez Certified Tree Care who have allowed me to observe them at work. Also for talking with me about their understanding of what it means to be working in a cemetery environment where thousands of loved ones are buried. Thank you for respecting Grand View''s residents.
Stay tuned for updates on official announcements about May opening dates. If you are interested in volunteering at future openings and you are a new volunteer, please contact David Baum at (310) 990-3660 or via email at david.baum@dbaumlaw.com. Past volunteers will be contacted when specific dates have been set.
