MARK SCHUMANN

By a vote of 3-2 today, the City Council brought an end to recent efforts to sell Crestlawn Cemetery.

Acting, he says, at the Council’s direction to explore options for selling, or “monetizing” city assets, City Manager Jim O’Connor recently issued a request for proposals from private companies to either lease the cemetery long-term, or purchase it from the city.

With Pilar Turner glaring at her as if she were a deserter, Tracy Carroll stepped away from the Council troika long enough to support a motion made by Jay Kramer and seconded by Richard Winger to end any consideration of leasing or selling the city-owned cemetery.

Turner, along with Mayor Craig Fletcher, voted to continue seeking proposals from prospective buyers.

Located on Old Dixie Highway between 16^th Street and 12^th Street, Crestlawn was established in 1937, when the Jaycees gave the land to the city.

Vero Beach native and retired Army Capt. Tony Young, who has campaigned over the past few months to prevent the sale of the cemetery, told the Council, “It is clear the decision is not driven by a financial necessity.  Selling it is simply a philosophical argument. It is a matter of values.”

“Selling the cemetery as a disposable asset is derelict,” Young added.

Young established a website, http://www.keepcrestlawn.com, and has spoken throughout the community about his concerns over the Council’s consideration of selling the cemetery.

Another Vero Beach native, former County Commissioner Alma Lee Loy, also went before the Council today to discourage the sale of Crestlawn.

“Crestlawn cemetery is one of the entities in the City of Vero Beach that makes the city different from many other cities, and that was one of the desires of the early settlers of this community.  They wanted to help build a community that was different, in order that people would enjoy living in this community and contributing to it,” Loy said.

“I encourage you to delete any consideration of putting that cemetery out for bids.  You are the trusted representatives of the people in this community, and I really believe the majority of citizens would wish you to do that,” she said.

Loy, who is thought of by many as the “First Lady of Vero Beach,” concluded,  “The cemetery is something that needs to be maintained, that needs to be under the advisement of the City Council, who are the elected representatives of our community.”

Former Councilman Ken Dagie, proposed that Crestlawn be protected by an amendment to the City Charter.  The cemetery, he said, should not be sold or leased by a vote of the City Council.  Similar protections are now in place for the waterfront property where the power plant and water treatment plant are now located.  Neither can be sold or leased for commercial lease without voter approval.