San Juan Capistrano to Explore Building Public Cemetery

San Juan Capistrano Councilman Wyatt T. Hart is 68 years old and in good health. But he has given considerable thought to the inevitable, and wonders if it’s not time for him -- and the city -- to start planning ahead.

“I think one of the responsibilities for any city or county is to provide a resting place for its citizens,” he said. “We provide areas for everything else, abandoned vehicles or whatever.”

But no public cemetery. And because the closest is 15 miles away, Hart has a plan to build a cemetery on 10 to 12 acres of San Juan Capistrano’s open space, possibly on the northwest side of town off Camino Capistrano. Orange County Cemetery District officials say they need to hear more, but so far they think it’s a fine idea.

Sam Randall, general manager of the cemetery district, commended Hart and his council colleagues for turning their attention to the hereafter.

“Death is not something you think a lot about,” he said. “There’s never an urgency associated with cemeteries, but they’ve elevated cemeteries up with other open-spaces needs, like city parks and ball fields.”

There’s a general need for a cemetery in South County, Randall said. El Toro Memorial Park in Lake Forest is the only county-operated cemetery in South County. A public hearing before the council is scheduled Feb. 3.

Hart said he began thinking about a cemetery in San Juan about 10 years ago. But it wasn’t until last spring that Hart and Councilman David M. Swerdlin started investigating potential sites.

Three possible sites have been identified: one along Camino Capistrano, an area off Camino las Ramblas near the southern foothills, and another on the city’s southern edge. City officials say the Camino Capistrano land is the preferred site so far for its relatively flat topography and its accessibility to Interstate 5.

The sites are currently zoned as passive open space, so a general plan amendment and environmental review would be necessary.

“I know there will be some concerns because open space, and how we use it, is always an issue here,” Councilman John S. Gelff said.

Hart said he realizes a cemetery would not be a moneymaker for the city, but believes the project would be worthwhile. “Any community needs to give its citizens the choice of being laid to rest in their hometown,” he said. “Now they have to go to El Toro or Santa Ana, and that’s not right.”

There are two private cemeteries in San Juan Capistrano. One on Ortega Highway is operated by the city’s mission on behalf of the Juaneno Indians. The cemetery is available only to Native Americans or descendants of families that settled San Juan Capistrano. Another, on the mission grounds, is where early Juanenos, Spaniards, Mexicans and Roman Catholic priests are buried.

There are nearly a dozen private, full-service cemeteries in Orange County, but only three public burial grounds -- in Lake Forest, Santa Ana and Anaheim. None have been built since 1955.

“Most of these new master-planned communities, the planners don’t set aside land for cemeteries,” said Doug Dumhart, San Juan Capistrano’s economic development manager. “So it’s an underserved land use.”