The city recently received word that they will receive funding for some improvements to one of its cemeteries. Community Development Director Tom Jordan said that the cemetery upgrades were included in a grant application for a Capital Grant Request to the State of Ohio. The city will receive $100,000 of the $580,000 it asked for.
North Royalton’s main cemetery has been targeted for a sprucing up over the past few years by the City administration and projects the renovation to be completed this summer. The cemetery is located at 6170 Royalton Road, and is one of two cemeteries in North Royalton.
Mayor Bob Stefanik said that he thinks that the improvements will now be restricted to the refurbishment of the stone outbuilding, which once served to hold the deceased over the winter months, where burial was impossible. A company that is experienced in preserving these types of buildings has been contacted and there has been some discussion about the potential use of this building as a chapel and/or mausoleum. Unfortunately, the funding would not support these types of usages, said Stefanik. Also, the city is looking at placing a decorative gateway at the entrance of the cemetery. He noted that although there was discussion over the past few years about placing decorative fencing along the section of Rt. 82, it is now realized that it is not a project that can be done, as the mature trees that run along the road would be killed if a fence was installed there. Stefanik said that the beautiful line of trees alone makes a natural border.
In 2008, Mayor Bob Stefanik’s administration started to target the renovation and long term maintenance of the cemetery when they started earmarking some of the funds from the proceeds of plots. Since then some sewer work has been done, as well as the replacement of the sidewalk in front of the cemetery, along Royalton Road. The driveway was also resurfaced and some concrete work done. There has been an overall cleanup within the cemetery, and adjacent property owners have replaced the fence that surrounds a portion to the north of the cemetery.
The city received a grant provided by the Cuyahoga County Veterans Service Commission’s Memorial Affairs Department, where stones of veterans buried at cemetery could be replaced or repaired and/or reset, at no cost to the city, or the families. Jason Swim, Director of the city’s Parks and Recreation, is responsible for the cemetery. He and Council President Larry Antoskiewicz physically inventoried and examined all plots that had standard issue stones. About 300 stones were identified and with 95 of them needing attention, with about thirty needing replacement. A bid was awarded to Everlasting Memorials and Monuments for phase one of the project, which included the resetting and cleaning of 30 stones. Phase two is being completed by Milano Monuments, which will reset another 30 stones. The final phase will begin soon, according to North Royalton Community Development Director Tom Jordan.
More detailed plans of the update will be discussed by Council and the administration. The city is awaiting the funds from the state and will have to determine if they will utilize funding from the cemetery fund to add to the project.
By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer