HomeMy WebLinkAboutAd Hoc Crematory Study Committee 2019-11-12-CSC-rpt (final)Ad Hoc Crematory Study Committee
Town of Lexington
Final Report to the Board of Selectmen
November 12, 2019
Votino,Members: Liaisons:
• Narain Bhatia, Town Meeting Member • Sandy Beebee, Capital Expenditures
• Judith Crocker, Town Meeting Member Committee
• Sara Iverson, Community Member • Sanjay Padaki, Appropriation Committee
• Bridger McGaw, Town Meeting Member
• George Burnell, Economic Development Staff Support:
Advisory Committee • David Pinsonneault, Director of Public
• Msgr. Paul Garrity, Lexington Interfaith Works
Clergy Association(LICA) • Carolyn Kosnoff, Assistant Town
• John Flynn, Board of Health Manager for Finance
Non-voting, Chair:
• Suzanne E. Barry, Board of Selectmen
AD HOC CREMATORY STUDY COMMITTEE-FINAL REPORT TO THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Table of Contents
Executive Summary Page 2
Selectmen's Charge to the Ad Hoc Crematory Study Committee Page 3
Additional Research Page 4
Use of the Cemetery Perpetual Trust Page 4
Municipal Engagement— Survey of Cities & Towns Page 5
Funeral Directors Page 6
Demand Page 6
Market Sectors Page 6
Major Risks Page 7
Summary Page 7
Pricing of Crematory Services Page 7
Operational Assessment Page 8
Minority Statement Page 9
Appendices:
Appendix A: Perpetual Care Letter Page 10
Appendix B: Municipal Crematory Study Page 11
Appendix C: Operation Cost Estimates Page 15
Appendix D: 10/20 Year Bonded Models Page 16
Appendix E: Primary and Secondary Funeral Home Market
Area Report Page 17
Appendix F: Lexington Interfaith Clergy Association (LICA)
Letter Page 19
Appendix G: Ad Hoc Crematory Study Committee Interim
To 2019 Annual Town Meeting Page 20
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Executive Summary
In September 2018, the Ad Hoc Crematory Study Committee was formed by the Board of Selectmen
(BOS) and charged with making one of the following recommendations regarding a potential
Crematory at Westview Cemetery:
1. Build a crematory adjacent to/connected to proposed new Westview Building.
2. Build a crematory on another location on the Westview property.
3. Do not build a crematory at this time.
Given the correlation between the ongoing work of the study committee and two Articles on the 2019
Annual Town Meeting Warrant (Article 6 and Article 209), the Ad Hoc Crematory Study Committee
agreed to publish an Interim Report for the 2019 Annual Town Meeting.
In order to meet the ad hoc committee charge, the Committee's continued work has included an
operational and feasibility analysis; exploration of various business models; numerous interviews; a
Massachusetts municipality survey; further review of public comments; and conferring with Town
Counsel, DPW, and Town Finance on Town financial implications. This additional information as well
as the Interim Report to the 2019 Annual Town Meeting can be found in the attached appendices.
In an effort of being respectful of all Lexington residents, the Committee feels that the needs of the
community can be currently served without constructing a crematorium at the Westview Cemetery. In
making its recommendation, the Committee reflected on a range of variables, including:
• The capacity of Town services
• Existing crematory options available within a reasonable travel distance
• The logistics and expense of operating such a facility
• The sensitivities and aspirations of the Lexington Interfaith Community(Appendix F)
• The current lack of interest in the development of a regional crematorium
• The adaptation of design efficiencies that make the new Westview building "addition ready"
The Committee is sensitive that not all end-of-life religious observances can presently be performed in
our community. However, given the lack of a predictable quantity of clients needed to financially
break even in combination with the stringency of current state regulations, a crematory operation is not
felt to be a feasible operational addition to the Town at this time. This matter may be revisited if state
regulatory practices regarding crematoriums are relaxed, local demand increases, or other significant
changes to factors studied by this Committee occur.
Final Recommendation voted on August 20, 2019:
With a deep sensitivity to the delicate nature of the Committee's charge,
the Committee voted 5-1 (with one member absent)
NOT to support building a crematory at this time.
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Selectmen's Charge to the Ad Hoc Crematory Study Committee
Charge adopted by the Board of Selectmen on September 17, 2018. Committee members designated as
Special Municipal Employees by the Board of Selectmen on October 29, 2018. Charge amended by the
Board Selectmen on May 20, 2019 to update the date of the Deliverables.
Members: The Ad Hoc Crematory Study Committee will have seven (7) voting members and (1)
member from the Board of Selectmen who will act as anon-voting Chairperson. Membership
shall include:
• 4 - Town Meeting/Community Representatives
• 1 - Lexington Interfaith Clergy Association member(LICA)
• 1 - Board of Health member
• 1 - Economic Development Advisory Committee Member
Liaisons: While not part of the Committee, the following committees are invited to recommend a
non-voting liaison:
• Capital Expenditures Committee
• Appropriation Committee
Staff Support: Director of Public Works will act as a liaison to this committee.
Appointed by: Board of Selectmen.
Length of Term: Upon completion of all recommendations to the Board of Selectmen in accordance
with the established deliverables schedule as outlined below.
Meeting Times: As determined by the Committee. A minimum of one meeting for the purpose of
soliciting public comment, shall be required.
Committee Goal: To examine public health, public safety, public works, operational, financial, and
quality of life issues associated with locating a crematory at Westview Cemetery and meeting the
needs of deceased Lexington residents and their families. To assess the following options and provide
the Selectmen with recommendations on:
1. Building a crematory adjacent to or connected to the proposed new Westview Cemetery
Building.
2. Building a crematory on another location on the Westview Cemetery property.
3. Not building a crematory at this time.
Committee Role: The Ad Hoc Crematory Study Committee's study will include but not be limited to
the following:
1)Review of Applicable Legislation:
a. Review of the applicable sections of Massachusetts General Laws c.114 (Cemeteries
and Burials). Review of Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
regulations regarding Crematories.
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2)Evaluation of needs:
a. Review of availability of crematory services for residents and project future cremation
needs.
b. Study the economics of death rates for the area.
c. Consider public and private competition in the region and other communities that may
be engaged in the crematory planning process.
3) Other Crematories:
a. Review of other crematories proposed, established and managed by municipalities in
Massachusetts.
b. Review of common practices and pricing.
c. Review of operational costs and perform modeling to include: various sales price and
numbers of cremations per year.
4) Building Options:
a. Review siting options at Westview Cemetery.
b. Review parking and gathering space needs.
c. Estimate the cost to build at siting options presented including size.
5) Operational Feasibility:
a. Review estimated annual operating costs, equipment costs, labor costs (including
possible outsourcing labor costs) and a program budget.
b. Review estimated Capital replacement costs and timeline of such.
c. Explore regional grant opportunities that maybe applied for.
6)Environment:
a. Review of independent research on the health, environmental, and safety risks
associated with the operation of a crematory.
b. Review options for using alternative energy sources to reduce the environmental
impacts.
Deliverables: Present a progress report to the Board of Selectmen once per month from May 2019
until completion of report with a report of recommendations addressed to Board of Selectmen on the
feasibility of a Crematory at Westview Cemetery.
Additional Research
Following the preparation of the Interim Report for 2019 Annual Town Meeting, the Committee
conducted additional research and analysis in a few areas as laid down in the Interim Report's Section
"Next Steps."
Use of the Cemetery Perpetual Trust
The Town of Lexington has four primary accounts for funds related to Cemetery sales and operations:
1) Cemetery Sale of Lots Fund; 2) Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust Fund; 3) Sale of Grave Boxes
revolving fund and 4) a General Fund account for cemetery operations. The Committee reviewed
these accounts for fund balances and revenues that would be available to build a crematory and support
operations.
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Westview Cemetery generates revenue through the sale of graves, performing burials, and from the
sale of grave boxes and supplies. When a grave is sold, 45% of the revenue is directed to the Sale of
Cemetery Lots Fund, and the other 55% is transferred to the Cemetery Perpetual Care
Trust Fund. Revenue and fund balance of the Sale of Cemetery Lots Fund is available for cemetery
land purchases, capital projects and improvements that could include a crematory. The balance of this
fund is approximately $650K as of June 30, 2019 and it has been proposed that this fund support the
construction of a new maintenance building at Westview Cemetery.
The Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust Fund is managed by Trustees of the Public Trust and is not an
available funding source for the construction of a crematory (see Appendix A - letter from
Trustees). The Town's Perpetual Care Trust Fund was established by the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts Acts of 1910, "for the care and preservation of cemetery lots," to ensure these plots are
maintained in perpetuity. The Town goes further to define the care of lots in the Rules and
Regulations of Westview Cemetery to include "the cutting and watering of the grass at reasonable
intervals, the raking and cleaning of the grounds, the pruning of shrubs and trees that may be placed by
the cemetery, burials and disinterment, and the required filing and record keeping of documents." The
Trust has a balance of approximately $3.5M as of June 30, 2019, and this principal balance is invested
by the Trustees. Only the interest earned on the Trust is transferred annually to the Town's General
Fund to contribute to salaries and expenses associated with maintaining the Town's cemeteries.
The Sale of Grave boxes is a revolving fund, or pass-through account that allows customers to
purchase grave boxes from the Town for burials being performed at the Cemetery. All other fees for
burials and supplies are deposited to the Town's General Fund which is dictated by Massachusetts
General Law. These fees cover most, but not all, of cemetery operations, including salaries and
expenses such as utilities and equipment. The tax levy covers the remaining amount of
the cemetery budget that is not supported by fees or by interest from the Perpetual Care Trust Fund.
Municipal Enj!al!ement—Survey of Cities & Towns
Throughout this assignment, the Committee remained hopeful that a partnership with neighboring
communities may be something that other municipal leaders could have been individually considering,
but never directly asked. So we asked. We researched if there were grants we could apply for and
found none. The Committee designed a survey and, at the behest of the Committee, the Town Manager
distributed the survey electronically to 107 cities and towns within Route 495. The survey had 40
responses from 39 communities, including the eight municipalities abutting Lexington. The Survey
Results (Appendix B) were telling. Those results showed that no cities or towns were interested in
taking this on as a Municipal Service. Those towns we knew had explored the idea were not interested
in a partnership with Lexington or any other towns. The Committee acknowledges that while a
partnership with surrounding towns would be ideal for creating utilization and shared capital and
operating costs, no community expressed interest.
The following survey questions responses (Appendix B) definitively illustrate the lack of interest in
partnering or constructing a crematory.
• Does your community currently own and operate a municipal crematory? Only Duxbury
and Plymouth
• If your community DOES NOT currently own and operate a municipal crematory, has your
community ever considered owning and operating crematory? 95%No
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• If your community HAS considered owning and operating a municipal crematory but it didn't
move forward, please explain why. Town of Littleton decided not to fund a feasibility study
citing proposal was voted down by Town Meeting (2010) and concerns of immediate abutters
regarding health impact (2017)
• Has your community ever considered being a member of a regional municipal crematory? all
thirty-nine towns that responded stated"No".
The Committee felt that there is a scenario where the construction and/or operations of a crematory at
Westview Cemetery could be outsourced to a private sector operator. Upon review of this type of
partnership with Town Counsel, we were told that this would not be feasible.
Funeral Directors
Demand
For this report, twenty funeral homes were identified as the primary service area and thirteen
as the secondary area. In no case was there an unmet family need and all funeral homes had
warm relations with their providers. Although there is a potential crematorium market, it is
acknowledged by funeral directors and crematory operators that it is difficult to establish and
build an economically sustainable cremation volume. This would be a demanding task
requiring absolute security, flawless performance, 10-14 hour daily access over 6-7 days/week,
and experienced professionals who remain in place for years with fully trained and qualified
assistants.
Witnessing a cremation is a practice by the Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh religions where
they activate the flame and observe the incineration. Our data indicates that there were four
such requests during 2018 in Lexington. Located eleven miles from Lexington, Mount Auburn
Crematory in Cambridge is the closest facility, although all provide these services.
Market Sectors
The frequency of families seeking cremation is increasing in Massachusetts and across the
country. According to Massachusetts law, regardless of where one dies, it is required that a
funeral director collect and hold the body for 48 hours for the Medical Examiner before it can
be cremated. Under usual circumstances, the disposition of the body must be under the control
of a licensed funeral director and as such, is the prime person to determine where the
cremation will take place.
Fifteen of the twenty funeral homes in the identified primary area and nine of the thirteen in
the secondary area are located northwest of Lexington. The primary crematories utilize a
chapel/reception hall and meditation garden. They are the Mount Auburn, Cambridge; Newton
Crematory, Newton; St. Michaels, Boston; Puritan Lawn, Peabody; and Merrimack, New
Hampshire.
Qualifying factors for funeral directors when deciding where to do business include security
and service. Distance from the funeral home to the crematory does not appear to be a
determining factor in which a crematorium is favored. For example, Duxbury collects some of
its bodies at a terminal in Boston for a combined shipment. Service is a prime factor, including
a turnaround time to deliver a body 12 hours per day/seven days per week. However, the most
important determinant when choosing which crematorium a funeral home utilizes is the
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appropriate security of the body, meaning that the correct remains are returned. The funeral
business is both price sensitive and competitive. In addition, most funeral homes are a
generational family business. Unless a major event occurs, funeral homes and crematoriums
have developed close working relationships that are maintained over time.
In all cases, it is the deceased's family that decides what services will be used for their
departed at any given instance. The funeral directors made a consistent recommendation that if
Lexington were to open a crematory, it should include a reception hall to accommodate 100 or
more persons. They expressed that having a "witnessing" area alone would not result in
Lexington being able to charge the premium rate for service.
The Mount Auburn Crematory is generally recognized among regional funeral directors as
being the finest, followed by Newton. The most referenced facility for service is Merrimack.
The facility most often referred as an example for what Lexington is exploring to build are
Puritan Lawn in Peabody and Linwood in Haverhill. In addition to including a hall or chapel,
many funeral directors suggested that the proposed facility would also require a meditation
garden, sizable parking lot, and a double roadway.
Major Risks
Green burials are just beginning to gain favor. Lexington approved the use of green burials at
Westview Cemetery in May of 2019. Whatever acceptance they gain may come at the expense
of any projected cremations.
It is expected that forty percent of funeral homes nationwide have or will have a crematory.
There is active lobbying to allow Massachusetts funeral homes to operate crematoriums in
their facility as they do in New Hampshire and forty-three other states.
Summary
The discussions with the identified funeral directors fell into two categories; they either had
deep relationships with their crematory and could not envision changing or they had modest
interest and were open to a new partial relationship developing over time provided the effort of
Lexington's new facility was spotless.
Pricing of Crematory Services
Nine crematories were contacted and the staff was interviewed. All of the crematories provided an
option for the family to view the cremation and to participate if desired. Some crematories had nicer
viewing areas than others, but all of them provided the option for the family to participate.
Each crematory was asked about the cost to the consumer. The price for cremation ranged from a high
value of$525 at Puritan Lawn Cemetery and Crematory in Peabody to a low of$250 at several other
locations. The average cost is $358. None of the crematories were operating at capacity and according
to one manager, " They were in a price race to the bottom."
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Operational Assessment
It is important to keep in mind that Massachusetts is one of only six states that still require crematories
to be sited within a cemetery. All other states allow crematories to be located in a variety of
commercial zones. Should that policy be changed by the State Legislature, it is possible that additional
crematories could be constructed by the private sector or funeral homes. Our analysis assumes that the
current policy remains in effect. Our engagement of state legislators suggests that no plans are
underway to make any changes to current policy.
While the Interim Report explored the costs and assumptions for scoping the design and construction
of a crematory at Westview Cemetery, the Committee wanted to provide a fuller accounting of the
operational costs of adding cremation as a Town funded service. In the course of studying crematory
operations, Town Officials visited crematories in Duxbury in July of 2018 and visited Mount Auburn
Crematory in Cambridge in late 2018. Further research of the best in class equipment was identified
from Matthews Crematory Equipment (https://www.matthewscremation.com/us/) in consultation with
their sales executives. The Committee reviewed assumptions and recommendations from our Interim
Report, recommendations from current crematory operators, as well as questions arising from Town
Meeting members and put together an assessment of the operational costs of constructing and
operating a crematory at Westview.
Crematory design and construction does not seem to be an overly specialized field. While the
equipment installed and utilized has a specialized purpose, design review showed that based on the
scale of the operations undertaken by the crematory operator, all designs for crematories included
similar functions and the sizes of the spaces fluctuated based on the number of retorts installed. If we
installed 1-2 retorts then we would need:
• (1)Administrative Workstation for managing the business
• A waiting area for 4-6 people to sit and wait comfortably
• A gender-neutral bathroom (shared by staff and guests)
• A Kitchenette
• A Viewing area to see the ignition process for 10-25 people
• Mechanical/Electric Room
Record Storage
We reviewed the operational costs of a crematory facility under a conservative analysis drawing upon
existing staffing models, energy utilization (electric & natural gas), as well as depreciation for similar
crematories utilizing similar equipment. Our analysis concluded that the crematory would have 1.5
FTE (1 Operator and .5 Administrative Support) with an additional DPW staff member trained and
certified on the equipment to cover for vacations/sick time. These costs amounted to $305,296/year.
Based on our research (Appendix C), the total capital equipment costs for outfitting the crematory,
assuming a 25% contingency, totaled $564,918.75. Using the estimate for square footage needed for 2
retorts, viewing room and supporting, but mutually-utilized spaces within the footprint of the
Westview Cemetery Operations Building, this added an additional $564,300 for construction costs
using the established $342/sq ft+25% contingency that the Town had received from its project
estimator in early 2019. The Department of Public Works continues to carry an estimate for $200,000
for adding a required gas line to the Westview site. While the capital costs (equipment and
construction) total $1,329,218.75, they do not include the additional "shared costs" for
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bathrooms, viewing room, and administrative space that would be needed if the crematory were not co-
located with the Westview Cemetery Operations. Those additional costs would push the construction
of this space significantly higher using today's construction cost estimates.
The Committee agreed that the cost effectiveness of considering a crematory was predicated on co-
location with the Cemetery Operations Building as laid out in our Interim Report. The Committee
recognizes it was not our charge to further assess the Westview Cemetery Operations Building design.
However, we did agree that constructing a standalone crematory was not an effective use of taxpayer
funds specifically because both the Cemetery Operations Building and Crematory identified
overlapping and mutually supporting physical plant requirements that would not diminish either
function.
Our revenue model also was conservative noting that we would need to enter the market and that there
is a long ramp up to taking on the volume of cases necessary to compete. Even when choosing a price
point that is competitive with nearby crematories, this service does not cover its costs for 8-10 years
and still carries a substantial capital loss. As shown in Appendix D, the 10 and 20 year
bonded projects both result in significant losses of $1.7M and $1.04M respectively after 10 years of
operations.
Thus, we recommend that creating a crematory at the Westview site is a costly endeavor. The
Committee was very conservative in our analysis noting that while demographic trends of cremation
were increasing nationally, in Massachusetts, there are already established crematories with established
partnerships with local funeral directors that dominate the request for services. When combining the
operational costs, the challenge of breaking into the market, along with the inability to create a public
private partnership or local town collaborative to make construction and operation more manageable,
our recommendation is that the Town not pursue construction of a crematory at this time.
This Final Report was APPROVED
by the Ad Hoc Crematory Study Committee
by a Roll Call vote of 7-0 on October 28, 2019
Minority Statement
In the view of one member of the Ad Hoc Committee, the recommendation of the Committee does not
adequately address the needs of the residents of Lexington.The needs of deceased Lexington residents
and their families would be well served by the construction of a crematory at Westview Cemetery.
Additionally, this member disagrees with some assumptions contained in the Final Committee Report.
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Appendix A: Perpetual Care letter
TRUSTEES OF PUBLic TRUSTS
'¢ Established 1910
r
Wp
F4 Y
P dJ
Alan.Fields,Chairman
Favid Williams
Susan McClements
An Overview of Perpetual Care Funds
Each time a cemetery plot is sold in the Town of Lexington a portion of the sale proceeds is
deposited with the Trustees of pudic Trusts to be field in a"Perpetual Care Fund"to provide,as
the name suggests,for the care and preservation of the cemetery in perpetuity.
The 1910 Massachusetts law establishing the Trustees of Public Trusts specifically authorizes
the Trustees to"take,hold and manage"funds for the"care and preservation of cemetery
lots",directs that the funds should be invested in a conservative manner and that the'income
from the funds should be paid over to the persons charged with the care and preservation of
the cemetery.(See Acts,191.0--Chapter 107,Section 5).
The Town of Lexington(see Chapter 142,Section b)provides that a percentage of,all cemetery
plot purchase prices be deposited in the perpetual Care Fund to be managed and invested by
the Trustees under the provisions of the 1910 Act referred to above.
The Perpetual Care Fund may be invested only in securities and instruments approved by the
Commonwealth and included from time to time on the"Legal List"of investments.
Not only must the Trustees abide by the terms of their appointment in the statute outlined
above,they also owe a fiduciary duty to invest.,manage and administer the Perpetual Care
Fund in a prudent manner.The Perpetual Care Fund is intended to lash indefinitely.Invading
principal is not an option for the Trustees both by virtue of their fiduciary duties and by the
terms of the statute authorizing perpetual care funds.
May 24,2019
attention., card cif`Selectman + 1625Massachusetts Avenue * Lexington,Massachusetts 02420
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Appendix B: Municipal Crematory Survey
The 10 question Municipal Crematory Study was sent electronically to 107 cities &towns
inside the Route 495 belt. We received 40 responses from 39 cities &towns including all 8 direct
abutters to Lexington. The Survey questions and responses are as follows:
1. Does your community currently own and operate a municipal crematory?
(Answered: 40)
• Yes: 3
• No: 37
(*it should be noted there are only 2 Municipal Crematories in the State of Massachusetts in the Town of
Duxbury and the Town of Plymouth and neither community responded to the survey)
2. If your community DOES own and operate a crematory,what year did it go operational?
(Answered: 9/Skipped: 31)
• Maybe 1600's
• 1861
• N/A (7)
3. If your community DOES NOT currently own and operate a municipal crematory, has
your community ever considered operating a municipal crematory?
(Answered: 37)
• Yes: 2 or 5.41%
• No: 35 or 94.59%
• Skipped: 3
4. If your community HAS considered owning and operating a municipal crematory but it
didn't move forward, please explain why:
(Answered: 9)
• A team of staff studied this about 10 years ago as a new identifiable revenue stream.
The idea didn't make it to the BOS. Perhaps a not in my backyard type of thing.
• N/A (6)
• Proposal voted down in 2010. 2017 Feasibility Study: Immediate abutters raised health
concerns; not satisfied with proof of no health impact. The Cemetery Commission
decided not to pursue further with the Town.
• Never Have.
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Appendix B: Municipal Crematory Survey (continued)
5. What is the name of the closest private crematory to your community and how far is it in
miles from your community? (listed by distance)
(Answered:40)
• Don't know answer (8) Don't know answer
• Blue Hills & one other small cemetery in town
• Oteri Funeral in town
• Shawsheen Funeral Home/Bedford Funeral Home in town
• Tighe-Hamilton in town
• Fowler-Kennedy Funeral Home and Cremation 0 miles
• Walnut Grove Cemetery 0.1 miles
• Conte Funeral Home 0.2 miles
• Mount Auburn Crematory less than 1 mile
• Woodlawn 1 mile
• St. Patrick's Cemetery 2 miles
• Newton Cemetery 4 miles
• Arlington 5 miles
• Attleboro 5 miles
• Malden 5 miles
• Mount Auburn Crematory (2) 5 miles
• Forest Hills Crematory 5.3 miles
• Puritan Lawn Memorial Park 6 miles
• Mount Auburn Crematory 8 miles
• Puritan Lawn 8 miles
• Mackey Funeral Home 11 miles
• Angel View 12 miles
• Casper Funeral & Cremation Services 13 miles
• Worcester 15 miles
• Duxbury 17 miles
• Mount Auburn Crematory 19 miles
• Newton Cemetery under 20 miles
• Not sure 20 miles
• Linwood Cemetery and Crematory 20 miles
• Rural Cemetery and Crematory 20.2 miles
• Woodlawn Cemetery 21 miles
• Linwood Crematory & Driscoll Funeral Home Cremation 33 miles
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Appendix B: Municipal Crematory Survey (continued)
6. Has your community ever considered being a member of a regional municipal crematory?
(Answered:40)
• Yes: 0
• No: 40
7. Any general comments?
(Comments: 19/Skipped: 21)
• Are schools, roads, utilities etc. not enough of a challenge?
• Closest ones to Scituate are Duxbury& Plymouth.
• Given cultural population demographics we thought it would be worth proposing.
• I have made the statement that we should not be in the business of cemeteries and
burials (that being said we are acquiring a historic private cemetery)but mainly when it
comes to any subsidizing of cemetery costs I remain adamantly opposed to it. We
believe that between cremation and eventually organic burials and human composting
(sounds crazy but just made legal in OR) the industry is going to change and we do not
want to get into the business. We also bring up the generational equity of cemetery
services constantly.
• Needham does not have a public cemetery so this issue has never come up.
• N/A (4)
• We contract with Angel View in Middleborough. For large road kill (deer)we have a
list of individuals to text to remove the carcass.
• While Boxborough has not previously considered being part of a regional municipal
crematory we would certainly embrace the possibility of joining such a regional
agreement. Clearly there is a demand for such services.
• None.
• You might want to go online and reach out to The Massachusetts Cemetery Association.
It is a great mix of Private and Municipal owned Cemeteries. Some run crematories:
Forest Hills, Jamaica Plain Boston, Linwood Haverhill to name a few.
• No (2).
• The Cemetery Commission views a crematory as a win-win; twice pursued Town
approval; proved no detriment to the Community. The number of cremations continues
increasing. Due to abutter concerns, it has not been pursued further. The number of
cremations continues to increase. The Town has built an outside niche in the cemetery.
• Not at this time.
• I do not see any reason a municipality would get involved in a crematory. This is a
tremendous responsibility and I do not see an economic advantage. I also think it is a
CRAZY IDEA!
• This service is adequately provided for by the private sector.
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Appendix B: Municipal Crematory Survey (continued)
8, 9, 10 were questions related to name & title of person completing the survey, email, and the
community they were representing. Communities/Titles completing the survey were
(in alphabetical order)(Answered: 40)
• Town of Acton, Finance Director
• Town of Arlington, Town Manager
• Town of Bedford, Public Works Director
• Town of Belmont, Chair Board of Cemetery Commissioners
• Town of Boxborough, Town Administrator
• Town of Braintree, Public Works Director
• Town of Brookline, Cemetery Supervisor
• Town of Burlington, Town Administrator
• Town of Carlisle,Town Administrator
• City of Chelsea, City Manager
• Town of Cohasset, Town Manager
• Town of Concord, Deputy Town Manger
• Town of Danvers,Town Manager
• Town of Dedham, Interim Town Manager
• Town of Foxborough, Town Manager
• Town of Franklin, Town Administrator
• Town of Hamilton, Town Manager
• Town of Hopkinton, Town Manager
• Town of Hudson,Executive Assistant
• Town of Lincoln, Cemetery Agent&Town Clerk
• Town of Littleton, Town Administrator
• Town of Marlborough, DPW Commissioner
• Town of Maynard, Town Administrator
• Town of Middleton,Assistant Town Administrator
• Town of Needham, Town Manager
• Town of North Andover, Deputy Town Manager
• Town of Norwood,Town Manager
• Town of Rowley, Town Administrator
• Town of Salisbury, Town Manager
• Town of Scituate,Town Administrator
• Town of Stoneham, Director of Public Works
• Town of Wakefield,Town Administrator
• City of Waltham,Assistant Cemetery Superintendent
• City of Waltham,Assistant Director of Public Works
• Town of Watertown, Superintendent of Public Works
• Town of Weston,Director DPW
• Town of Whitman, Town Administrator
• Town of Winchester, Cemetery Coordinator
• Town of Wilmington Town Manager
• City of Woburn, Chairman Cemetery Commission
14
NOVEMBER 12, 2019
AD HOC CREMATORY STUDY COMMITTEE-FINAL REPORT TO THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Appendix C: Operational Cost Estimates
1 THERM 100,000 BTUs
Conservative estimate of#of BTUs per retort uses in an hour 3,000,000.00
Hours Operation/day 8
5 year average cost of Natural Gas from DPW is$1.26/therm $1.26
Cost/8 hours of Therms $ 37.80
#Therms per 8 hours 30.00
ESTIMATED BUILDING COST OF AN INTEGRATED Operations/Administration/Crematory Highlighted costs for budgeting
Matthews PowerPak I(install 2 for maintenance/do not want to turn anyone out) $ 208,000.00 104k+15k(ma dep REQ)
MA DEP Cost per retort $ 30,000.00 This is a changing number from DEP($15-25K)
Estimated Delivery to Lexington,MA $ 8,000.00 4K per unit
Installation Costs(Construction/HVAC/NG install) $ 75,000.00 install costs$50K-$75K
MA State Requirement:Chamber Temperature Monitor and TWO-Pen Chart Recorder $ 3,400.00 $1700 each
Spare Parts and small equipment replacements daily supplies $ 5,000.00
Matthews VPS-1 Processing Station $ 14,000.00
Electric-Hydraulic Loading Lift Table included
MADEP chimney of unit 30 feet from ground $ 20,000.00 Est.cost for two chimney's
Matthews Automated Loading System $ 30,000.00 Offers professional presentation esp.for viewing
Matthews Electric Cremated Remains Processor(ECP-200) $ 7,450.00
Expandable Commercial freezer $ 10,000.00
Total Capital Cost for Equipment $ 410,850.00
With contingency of 10% $ 451,935-00
With additional soft costs of 25% $ 564,918.75
Construction cost of Crematorium Building(40'x30')
@$150/sqft @$342/sqft
Known costs of construction for Westview Site(Low vs.Estimator provided) $ 180,000.00 $ 410,400.00
With contingency of 10% $ 198,000.00 $ 451,440.00
With additional soft costs of 25% $ 247,500.00 $ 564,300.00
Natural Gasl i ne from street(DPW installation estimate) $ 200,000.00
Total capital costs(Crematorium building+Equipment) $1,329,218.75 Capital cost w/25%contingency
OPERATING COSTS
NG Operational cost/8hr $37.80 (Delivery and consumption)
Electric Bill/Month for future Cemetary Operations Building $300.00 assumes normal electric utilization
5 cremations/16 hrs using NG will have a daily cost $302.40
Max cremations per year(assume 5 cremations/day;220 operating days/yr;75%utilization) 825
Hours of opeations per day would be: 9:00am-5:30 pm Assumes 5 Day Work week
Total Operating Cost per year
Operating cost per year $53,496
1 Operator;1 FTE
trained/certified as a backup;
Labor cost per year(assume 1 person,$50/hr+benefits,2000 hrs/yr) $162,500 shared admin staff=1.5 FTE
Depreciation expense of equipment per year(assume 10yr straight line) $41,085
Depreciation expense of Crematorium Bldg per year(assume 20yr straight line) $28,215
Misc expenses and maintenance $20,000
TOTAL Operating Costs per year $305,296
Break-even AnIsis
Total cremations per year(assume 5 cremations/day;220 operating days/yr;75%utilization) 825 IF running at full capacity
Break even cost per cremation $370
Number of cremations if 75%of Lexington's dead chose cremation in Lexington 230.25 Average of last 5 years of deaths
TOTAL COST:Operating Costs(year 1)+Capital Costs $1,634,515
NOTE.We have not included"Marketing Costs"in this analysis.
Reverse Analysis( y r Only Annual Operating Costs)
Number of cremations needed per year at$475/cremation 643 Merrimack Pricing($475)
Number of cremations needed per year at$410/cremation 745 Mount Auburn Pricing($410)
Number of cremations needed per year at$225/cremation 1,357 Duxbury Pricing($225)
15
NOVEMBER 12,2019
AD HOC CREMATORY STUDY COMMITTEE-FINAL REPORT TO THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Appendix D: 10/20 year Bonded models
Years 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
#of cremations 50 75 100 250 300 400 500 600 700 825
Sale Price $ 450 $ 461 $ 473 $ 485 $ 497 $ 509 $ 522 $ 535 $ 548 $ 562
Total revenue $ 22,500 $ 34,594 $ 47,278 $ 121,150 $ 149,015 $ 203,653 $ 260,931 $ 320,945 $ 383,797 $ 463,640
Labor annual $ 162,500 $ 166,563 $ 170,727 $ 174,995 $ 179,370 $ 183,854 $ 188,450 $ 193,161 $ 197,990 $ 202,940
Utilities $ 378 $ 567 $ 756 $ 1,890 $ 2,268 $ 3,024 $ 3,780 $ 4,536 $ 5,292 $ 6,237
Maintenance&Misc $ 20,000 $ 20,500 $ 21,013 $ 21,538 $ 22,076 $ 22,628 $ 23,194 $ 23,774 $ 24,368 $ 24,977
Total cost $ 182,878 $ 187,630 $ 192,495 $ 198,423 $ 203,714 $ 209,506 $ 215,424 $ 221,471 $ 227,651 $ 234,154
Gross Profit loss $ 160,378 $ 153,036 $ 145,217 $ 77,272 $ 54,699 $ 5,853 $ 45,507 $ 99,474 $ 156,146 $ 229,486 Cumulative Annualized
Profit/Loss Profit/Loss
10 Year Bond $ 163,881 $ 163,881 $ 163,881 $ 163,881 $ 163,881 $ 163,881 $ 163,881 $ 163,881 $ 163,881 $ 163,881 10 Year Bond
Net profit loss w/1 Oy bond $ 324,259 $ 316,916 $ 309,098 $ 241,153 $ 218,580 $ 169,733 $ 118,374 $ 64,407 $ 7,734 $ 65,605 $1,704,648 $ 170,465
20 Year Bond $ 97,806 $ 97,806 $ 97,806 $ 97,806 $ 97,806 $ 97,806 $ 97,806 $ 97,806 $ 97,806 $ 97,806 20 Year Bond
Net profit loss w/20y bond 1$ (258,184)1$ (250,842)1$ (243,023)1$ (175,079)1$ (152,505)1$ (103,659)1$ (52,299)1$ 1,668 1$ 58,340 1$ 131,680 $1 043 904 $ 104 390
Assumptions
Capital investment(2 retorts+25%
contingency+other equip+gas line) $1,329,218.75
Bond rate 4%
Labor cost per year assumes 1.5 persons,
$50/hr+benefits,2000 hrs/yr $162,500.00
Inflation 2.50%
Natural Gas cost per therm $1.26
Cremations/8 hours 5
Therms/8 hours 30
Therms/cremation 6
GASLINE estimate to install at Westview $200,000
Crematory Business Analysis
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16
NOVEMBER 12,2019
AD HOC CREMATORY STUDY COMMITTEE-FINAL REPORT TO THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Appendix E: Primary and Secondary Funeral Home
Market Area Report
Prayer Potential
Town Census Funeral Home Crematory Cremations Witness Hall Usage
per year seating Min Max
Primary
Market
Lexington 33,727 Douglass Mt Auburn x 4 0 5
Arlington 45,510 Keefe Mt Auburn x 18 25 0 95
DeVito Mt Auburn x 2 100 0 0
Rogers&Hutchins Mt Auburn x 0 0 20
Belmont 26,458 Hickey&Brown 0
Brasco&Son 0
Short Williamson 0
Waltham 621442 Joyce Newton 0 200+ 0 0
Brasco(Belmont)
Lincoln 61781 none
Concord 19,237 Concord Mt Auburn x 16
Dee Duxbury
Bedford 141197 Bedford Harmony Grove x 5
Shawsheen Rivet, Merrimack x 15 0
Burlington 271176 Edward V.Sullivan Puritan Lawn x 5 100+
Woburn 39,701 Lynch-Cantillon Puritan Lawn x 5
McLaughlin-Dello Mt Auburn x 1
Graham Puritan Lawn x 2
Winchester 22,838 Costello Linwood x 3 75 0 60
Lane Arborside
O'Maley
Primary TOTAL 298,067 912 76 0 180
8%
17
NOVEMBER 12,2019
AD HOC CREMATORY STUDY COMMITTEE-FINAL REPORT TO THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Appendix E: Primary and Secondary Funeral Home
Market Area Report(continued)
Prayer Potential
Town Census Funeral Home Crematory Cremations Witness Hall Usage
per year Seating Min Max
Secondary
Market
Acton 23,549 Acton Newton x 3 100 0 50
Billerica 42,683 Burns Arborside x 10 150
Sweeney Memorial Merrimack, NH x 0 100 0 20
Boxborough 5,206 none
Chelmsford 35,149 Dolan
Merrimack, 100-
Blake Chelmsford Linwood x 10 150 0 55
Carlisle 5,245 Dee Duxbury
Bedford Harmony Green
Concord Mt Auburn
Harvard 61573 none
Anderson(Ayer)
Badger(Littleton)
Acton(Acton)
Littleton 9,912 Badger(Littleton)
Maynard 10,676 Fowler-Kennedy
Linwood,
Lowell(10) 110,699 The McDonough Merrimack x 20 100 0 30
McKenna-Ouellette Merrimack x 2 75-100 0 0
M.R.Laurin&Son Merrimack x 2 50 0 0
O'Donnell
Weston 12,057 none
Westford 23,831 J A Healy Sons Merrimack x 0 75-100 0 0
Badger(N.Chelmsford)
Blake(Chelmsford)
Wilmington 23,534 Nichols Newton x 1 75 0 0
Dello Russo
Secondary
TOTAL 309,114 717 48 0 155
GRAND TOTAL 607,181 1,629 124 0 335
x: Proprietary information,not for publication
Witness:Personally igniting and observing the cremation
Prayer Hall:Space to gather and hold a service.Capacity recommended by Funeral Director.
Potential Usage:Min: Not a single Director expressed a desire for a facility in Lexington.
Max;Maximum number they could envision sending here in future..
18
NOVEMBER 12,2019
AD HOC CREMATORY STUDY COMMITTEE-FINAL REPORT TO THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Appendix F: Lexington Interfaith Clergy Association (LICA) Letter
From: PAUL GARRITY
Date: Tue, Aug 20, 2019, 9:48 PM
Subject: CREMATORY COMMITTEE
CREMATORY COMMITTEE
The Lexington Interfaith Clergy Association was asked at its June Meeting to support the proposal
for the Town of Lexington to build a crematory. The request come from a member of the Hindu
community who made the proposal, reflecting sentiment in the Hindu community where
cremation is a mandate of the Hindu faith or religion. The members of the Association who were
present had an extensive conversation on the proposal. Instead of endorsing the proposal, the
Association chose to endorse the following resolution.
(We call upon) the ad Hoc crematory study committee and town meeting to fully consider the
spiritual needs of the Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Sikhs and other communities who practice cremation
(specifically the need to witness cremation) as they seek to discern how to move forward.
19
NOVEMBER 12,2019
AD HOC CREMATORY STUDY COMMITTEE-FINAL REPORT TO THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Appendix G: Interim Report to 2019 Annual Town Meeting
AD Hoc CREMATORY STUDY COMMITTEE
TOWN OF LEXINGTON
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TERIM REPORT To
2019 ANNUAL TOWN MEETING
Released April 3, 2019
Voting Members: Liaisons
• Narain Bhatia, Town Meeting Member • Sandy Beebee, Capital Expenditures
• Judith Crocker, Town Meeting Member Committee
• Sara Iverson, Community Member • Sanjay Padaki, Appropriation Committee
• Bridger McGaw, Town Meeting Member • David Pinsonneault, Director of Public
• George Burnell, Economic Development Works
Advisory Committee • Carolyn Kosnoff, Assistant Town
• Msgr. Paul Garrity, Lexington Interfaith Manager for Finance
Clergy Association(LICA)
• John Flynn, Board of Health
Non-voting Chair
• Douglas M. Lucente, Board of Selectmen
20
NOVEMBER 12,2019
Appendix G: Interim Report to 2019 Annual Town Meeting (continued)
Executive Summary
In December 2018, the Ad Hoc Crematory Study Committee was formed by the Board of Selectmen (BOS) and
charged with making one of the following recommendations regarding a potential Crematory at Westview
Cemetery:
4. Build a crematory adjacent to/connected to proposed new Westview Building.
5. Build a crematory on another location on the Westview property.
6. Do not build a crematory at this time.
Given the correlation between the ongoing work of the study committee and two Articles on the 2019 Annual
Town Meeting Warrant (Article 6 and Article 20g), the Ad Hoc Crematory Study Committee agreed to publish
this Interim Report. The Committee is not ready to make a final recommendation as to whether or not
Lexington should build a crematory at this time, but wanted to share some preliminary information to assist in
educating Town Meeting on the topic.
Committee members and liaisons agree that the continued investigation of the numerous financial implications
and other variables is needed on this complex issue in order to present a complete and accurate report back to
the BOS and to Town Meeting.
Though it is beyond the mandate of the Committee, it is the Committee's judgment that there is not sufficient
reason to postpone the Westview Cemetery Facility construction at this time. This reasoning is predicated on
the assumption that the design for the new building has now been amended to accommodate the overlapping
needs of the Westview Cemetery administrative and public spaces and a potential future crematory.
Interim Recommendations:
As of March 21, 2019, the Ad Hoc Crematory Study Committee is recommending that:
Recommendation Committee Vote
Design the proposed Westview Cemetery Facility addition-ready 7-0 (3-21-2019 mtg)
for a potential future crematory.
A potential future crematory should accommodate a viewing area 6-1* (3-21-2019 mtg)
suitable for up to 25 people.
A potential future crematory should have up to two retorts. 7-0 (3-21-2019 mtg)
A potential future crematory should not be built separately from 5-1-1** (3-21-2019mig)
the proposed Westview Cemetery Facility.
* Maiority View: A Crematory viewing area in Lexington should be used for short duration witnessing of the
start of the cremation process.
Minority View: This individual was not ready to take a position at that time.
**Minority View: This individual was not ready to take a position at that time.
AD HOC CREMATORY STUDY COMMITTEE-FINAL REPORT TO THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Appendix G: Interim Report to 2019 Annual Town Meeting (continued)
Selectmen's Charge to the Ad Hoc Crematory Study Committee
Approved in September 2018
To examine public health, public safety, public works, operational, financial, and quality of life issues
associated with locating a crematory at Westview Cemetery and meeting the needs of deceased Lexington
residents and their families. To assess the following options and provide the Selectmen with recommendations
on:
1) Building a crematory adjacent to or connected to the proposed new Westview Cemetery Building.
2) Building a crematory on another location on the Westview Cemetery property.
3) Not building a crematory at this time.
Committee Role: The Ad Hoc Crematory Study Committee's study will include but not be limited to the
following:
1) Review of Applicable Legislation: a. Review of the applicable sections of Massachusetts General Laws c.114
(Cemeteries and Burials). Review of Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection regulations
regarding Crematories.
2) Evaluation of needs: a. Review of availability of crematory services for residents and project future
cremation needs. b. Study the economics of death rates for the area. c. Consider public and private competition
in the region and other communities that maybe engaged in the crematory planning process.
3) Other Crematories: a. Review of other crematories proposed, established and managed by municipalities in
Massachusetts. b. Review of common practices and pricing. c. Review of operational costs and perform
modeling to include: various sales price and numbers of cremations per year.
4) Building Options: a. Review siting options at Westview Cemetery. b. Review parking and gathering space
needs. c. Estimate the cost to build at siting options presented including size.
5) Operational Feasibility: a. Review estimated annual operating costs, equipment costs, labor costs (including
possible outsourcing labor costs) and a program budget. b. Review estimated Capital replacement costs and
timeline of such. c. Explore regional grant opportunities that maybe applied for.
6) Environment: a. Review of independent research on the health, environmental, and safety risks associated
with the operation of a crematory. b. Review options for using alternative energy sources to reduce the
environmental impacts.
Background
Westview Cemetery is the Town's active cemetery. There are of 200 burials per year on average. The Cemetery
is located on a Town owned parcel of land that is 42-acres. The current building, serves as a cemetery office, a
meeting area for grieving families and a work space for the maintenance staff. There are 4 Full Time employees
and 2 positions for Seasonal employees.
22
NOVEMBER 12,2019
AD HOC CREMATORY STUDY COMMITTEE-FINAL REPORT TO THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Appendix G: Interim Report to 2019 Annual Town Meeting (continued)
Current Building Conditions: The current facility, which last had a significant addition in the late 1970's, has
deteriorated and needs to be brought up to code. The limited space does not permit private space for grieving
families to meet with Town Staff and plan burials. The maintenance area lacks adequate space for necessary
equipment to be stored indoors. This impacts the durability and life of the equipment. The only recent upgrade
to the building in the last 15 years has been the installation of a new roof.
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Timeline: The Westview Cemetery Facility replacement has been under consideration since 2015. Below is the
timeline of the events related to the Westview Cemetery Facility and the Crematory Study:
• 2015
o March 2015 Annual Town Meeting — Approved Article 11(m) Westview Cemetery Building
Assessment - $35,000 (Cemetery Trust Fund): This appropriation was used to fund a feasibility
study.
• 2016 A final report of options for the Westview Cemetery Building was issued by the consultant.
• 2017
o March 2017 Annual Town Meeting — Approved Article 12(o) Westview Cemetery Building
Design - $270,000 (General Fund Debt): This appropriation was to hire an architect to design
and engineer the building on the Westview Cemetery grounds.
o June 2017—BOS approved Cemetery Fee Increase to help fund Westview Building.
• 2018
o March 2018 - TBA Architects presented a proposed design and cost estimate for the new
Westview Cemetery Building to BOS.
o March 2018 Annual Town Meeting— Voted Indefinite Postponement* of Article 11 Appropriate
for Westview Cemetery Building Construction- $3,040,000.
o July 2018 — BOS visited the Duxbury Municipal Crematory, and made a decision to form an Ad
Hoc Crematory Study Committee.
o September 2018—Ad Hoc Crematory Study Committee charge was approved by the BOS.
23
NOVEMBER 12,2019
AD HOC CREMATORY STUDY COMMITTEE-FINAL REPORT TO THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Appendix G: Interim Report to 2019 Annual Town Meeting (continued)
o October 2018 —Ad Hoc Crematory Study Committee members were appointed.
o December 2018 —The first meeting of the Ad Hoc Crematory Study Committee was held.
• 2019
o The Committee has held 10 meetings including:
■ February 2019—Public Hearing held for feedback on Crematory need.
*During the 2018 Annual Town Meeting, a suggestion from a Town Meeting Member was made that the Town
should explore including a crematory at Westview Cemetery since we were preparing to replace the Westview
Cemetery Facility.
In constructing any public building, our Town's building design strategy makes every effort to incorporate a 50-
year building life span to support the future needs of the community. Therefore, the decision was made by the
BOS to slow down the Westview building process in order to determine if there would be a benefit to the Town
if the new building were to contain a crematory.
Understanding the Cremation Process
Cremation is the process of reducing the human body to bone fragments
using g p high heat. Cremation is not the final disposition of the remains and it is
not a type of funeral service. With cremation you still have the opportunity
yp � y pp y
to have a funeral or memorial service. Cremated remains ("Cremains") can
be buried, kept in a mausoleum, stored in an urn, or spread outside.
m o in c)r �� p�a n g p m o r To get an understanding of the process, members of the Ad Hoc Crematory
�"uaa� o�m�� �q�u�a�n�� ku'� ��:� � woa�uQawQu
° �� a°° rill �������� ,���r �'����� ���°� ��°V��`�°�` ��t tv Study Committee have interviewed 20 Funeral Home Directors in the
" 1�rn a t o n �t��'�'��°f, primary area surrounding Lexington and 13 Funeral Home Directors in the
secondary area to the northwest.
There are multiple steps involved in the cremation process, and the Funeral
Director plays an integral role. By Massachusetts state law, whether you die,
IN
� at home, at the hospital, or at the nursing home, you must have a Funeral
Director involved. However, per Massachusetts state law a funeral home
cannot have a cremator on their remises. All crematories must be located
y p
r on cemetery property.
Additionally, in Massachusetts every person that is cremated must be
approved for cremation b the Medical Examiner's office. Since cremation is
pp y
an irreversible process, the Medical Examiner's office performs an
examination of the body to make certain there is no question about cause of
death. Further, in Massachusetts, no one can be cremated for at least 48 hours
after the death occurs.
r� After the 48-hour waiting period, the Medical Examiner's office can a� g p � approve
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the cremation. At this time the Funeral Director will transport the case to
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crematory operators at the cemetery. Paperwork is brought to the crematory
24
AD HOC CREMATORY STUDY COMMITTEE-FINAL REPORT TO THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Appendix G: Interim Report to 2019 Annual Town Meeting (continued)
with the body, and the crematory assigns a case number. That case number and the paperwork stays with the
case during the whole cremation process.
At the crematory, the body may be refrigerated temporarily. When the crematory is ready to start the process,
the body is placed into a retort (the technical name for the cremation chamber). For an average size adult, the
cremation process takes two to three hours where the body is exposed to extreme high temperatures, usually
1600-1800 degrees Fahrenheit. When the cremation process is complete, all that remains are bone fragments.
Due to the extreme heat, the bones are in small pieces and very brittle. Crematory operators carefully remove all
of the contents from the retort. These are called"Cremains".
When the cremains are removed from the cremation chamber, they are taken to a work station where those
fragments and ashes are allowed to cool. All non-consumed items, like metal from clothing, hip joints, and
bridge work, are separated from the cremains. This separation is accomplished through visual inspection as well
as using a strong magnet for smaller and minute metallic objects. The remaining bone fragments are then
pulverized by a special machine and reduced to fine powder. The cremains of an average size adult usually
weigh between four to eight pounds.
The cremains are then given to the Funeral Director or to the authorized family member.
It is customary for some religious and ethnic groups to watch the cremation as part of their funeral custom. It is
their belief that it is important to follow through with the person to the final end, much the same as going to a
grave site if someone were being buried. Others choose to view the cremation for peace of mind and to get the
emotional closure they need.
The Committee discovered that this puts the Funeral Director squarely in the middle of the process and they are
the primary person to determine where the cremation will take place when a viewing or family choice has not
been established.
Crematory Reimlations
Reiulations: The State Laws for permitting and operating a Crematory are relatively straight forward and will
provide for a well-controlled and safe operation.
Any cremation in Massachusetts must be carried out in a facility located on a Massachusetts DPH approved
Cemetery. The Crematory will operate with by-laws and regulations approved by the Department of Public
Health pursuant to M.G.L. Ch. 114, § 9, and an air pollution control permit issued by the Massachusetts
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) pursuant to 310 CMR 7.00. Additionally, a modification to the
Westview Cemetery Trust (as approved by the BOS) will be required.
The Cremation process is conducted in specially designed chambers called retorts. There are a limited number
of vendors that manufacture the specialty chambers. Manufacturing standards, vendor certification and specific
maintenance procedures ensure compliance with all permitting and environmental regulations.
The extremely high temperatures within the chambers will reduce all organic matter to non-toxic, odorless
gases. DEP Regulation 310 CMR 7.00 defines the particulate level for air pollution control. Vendor
25
NOVEMBER 12,2019
AD HOC CREMATORY STUDY COMMITTEE-FINAL REPORT TO THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Appendix G: Interim Report to 2019 Annual Town Meeting (continued)
certification and proper periodic maintenance procedures will ensure compliance with DEP regulations. Particle
levels are too low for practical DEP periodic testing.
There are no restrictions on the disposition of ashes once cremation has occurred. However, prior to the
dispersal of cremains, permission should be obtained from the land owner or the applicable agency (e.g. —
municipal government for Town land, or the Department of Conservation and Recreation for a state park, etc.)
Heat Sources: Currently, gas or oil are the only reasonable heat sources capable of providing sufficient energy
for the cremation process. Natural gas is the preferred fuel for modern retorts. The retorts work best and
provides the best energy efficiency when the chamber is raised to temperature for multiple sequential
cremations. Cycling the retorts for individual cremations is both inefficient and an additional strain on the retort
itself.
More specific information will be provided in subsequent reports and design studies as needed.
Lexington Shifting Demographics
Source.-Census Bureau
.
0
u.... 5 . %
t
3 . %
20.0%
. ri .............................. ...........
White sign Multiracial hispanic Black Other Native Islander
RM.;E 0 IIS IE"r II I IN q'W:,I°I o.
2G0,C I 16
Cultural Sensitivities and Evaluation of Needs: There has been a significant shift in the demographic makeup
of Lexington over the past 16 years. This will be explored further as we investigate this trend as it relates to the
preference for cremations and the Town's ability to meet the needs of residents.
Religious Preferences Related to Cremations: Members of the committee interviewed religious leaders in
Lexington. The chart below summarizes the preference for or against burials and cremations by religion. This
chart is meant to be for illustrative purposes only. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every religion.
26
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AD HOC CREMATORY STUDY COMMITTEE-FINAL REPORT TO THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Appendix G: Interim Report to 2019 Annual Town Meeting (continued)
Rely ion* Burial, Cremation Notes
Christian Greek and Russian 0ithodox do not
consider cremation acceptable
Jehovah's Witness Follow local traditions
Unaffiliated Growing segnt of the population
Buddhist V/ Most Buddhists choose cremation,
because the Buddha was cremated
Sikh
Hindu
Jewish Reform judaisin has begun to be
inore accepting of the practice,
Islam
Mormon
Death Statistics of Lexinjjon:
# of
# of Cremation % Graves
Year Burials Burials Cremations Sold
008
[2008 204 51 25.00% 47
1 2009 189 52 27.51% 77
2010 201 56 27.86% 74
2011 192 55 28.65% 99
12012 194 61 31.44% 88
2013 165 44 26.67% 91
12014 1182 52 28.57% 198
12015 215 55 25.58% 64
2016 177 69 38.98% 97
12017 192 71 36.98% 119
2018 197 66 33.50% 70
lAverage 1191.64 1 57.45 1 29.98% 1 84
Balancing Equity and Financial Implications: Gathering and assessing information has led the Committee to
two distinct but equally qualifying thought processes: 1) Residential Equity - right for every Lexingtonian to
have their funeral rites occur in their Town.. 2) Financial— if a crematory is operated by the Town, how can we
make it financially viable? Operationally, the cemetery requires an annual subsidy from the tax levy to maintain
its current operations. These costs have been trending upwards the last three years. Thus, our financial analysis
plans to also contend with that reality.
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AD HOC CREMATORY STUDY COMMITTEE-FINAL REPORT TO THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Appendix G: Interim Report to 2019 Annual Town Meeting (continued)
Current Market and Trends
Other Crematories: There are 17 crematories located in Massachusetts (see map of other crematories below).
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The primary crematories in our selected area are:
a. Mt Auburn, Cambridge, MA
b. Newton Crematory, Newton, MA
c. St. Michaels, Boston, MA
d. Linwood, Haverhill, MA
e. Merrimack, NH
Cremation Trends: The rate of cremation in the United States is at an all-time high and surpassed the rate of
burial for the past few years. The rate of cremation is projected to continue to rise. According to the National
Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) that by the year 2030 over 70% of Americans will choose cremation
over burial.
FDA U.S. Projected Cremation and Burial Rates
Burials Cremation
0%
70% 1111111E 70.6%
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%
10%
2011 2013 2014 2015 2020 2030
SOURCE:National Funeral Directors Association (2014)
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AD HOC CREMATORY STUDY COMMITTEE-FINAL REPORT TO THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Appendix G: Interim Report to 2019 Annual Town Meeting (continued)
Westview Cemetery Building Options.
Research of Crematory Designs: It is important to keep in mind that Massachusetts is one of only 6 states that
still require crematories to be sited within a cemetery. All other states allow crematories to be located in a
variety of commercial zones. Should that policy changed by the State Legislature, it is possible that additional
crematories could be constructed by the private sector or funeral homes. Our analysis assumes that the current
policy remains in effect.
The Committee recognized in its charge that there was atwo-step design challenge in examining the feasibility
of construction of a crematory due to the perceived delays in the Westview Cemetery Operations Building.
First, we agreed that operationally it was more efficient with shared physical plant and administrative
requirements to co-locate the two structures. Second, our examination of the Westview Design showed
significant design efficiencies were possible due to some oversizing of the Administrative space. It was our
assessment that modifying the design approach to the Westview Building would not only meet the
administrative and operational requirements of the Westview Cemetery Operations, but also save enough
money through design efficiencies to include a future crematory's administrative requirements. Our review
successfully showed that the $2.8M requested for Westview could be made more cost efficient and future-
proofed should a future installation of a crematory be approved.
Crematory design and construction does not seem to be an overly specialized field. While the equipment
installed and utilized has a specialized purpose, design review showed that based on the scale of the operations
undertaken by the crematory operator, all designs for crematories included similar functions and the sizes of the
spaces fluctuated based on the number of retorts installed. If we installed 1-2 retorts then we would need:
• (1)Administrative Workstation for managing the business
• Awaiting area for 4-6 people to sit and wait comfortably
• Agender-neutral bathroom(shared by staff and guests)
• A Pantry
• A Viewing area to see the ignition process for 10-25 people
• Mechanical/Electric Room
• File Storage
Crematory Design Review: In reviewing designs for possible crematories, we reviewed over a dozen floor
plans as well as considered layouts as viewed by Town Staff in their tour of Mount Auburn and Duxbury sites.
We saw designs that range from 1400 sq. ft. to 2000 sq. ft. inclusive of the operational equipment. However,
based on advice from crematory operators it was recommended that having 2 retorts is optimal unless you are
building a massive operation. Thus, we focused our design of a future crematory building of 1400 sq. ft. to
1600 sq. ft. The balance of the space would already be included in the Westview Cemetery Administrative
portion of the building. We shared these floor plans and assessments with the Facilities Department, DPW, and
Permanent Buildings Committee (PBC). With a likely vote on the funding for construction of the new
Westview Cemetery Operations Building (Article 20g) expected at the 2019 Annual Town Meeting, we felt that
our research into operational effectiveness and construction could be summarized as:
1. Size the future project to have at least 2 retorts (approx. 1400-1600sgft).
2. A substantial overlap with the current Westview building design of approximately 1200 sq. ft. exists.
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AD HOC CREMATORY STUDY COMMITTEE-FINAL REPORT TO THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Appendix G: Interim Report to 2019 Annual Town Meeting (continued)
Westview Cemetery Operations Building Design Review: Upon our review of the necessary layout for a
crematory, we engaged with the Facilities Department and PBC to assess opportunities. Our discussions led to
some space saving opportunities for similar administrative requirements for operating each program separately.
Opportunities existed to combine the two programs without adding to the known budget. For example, the
previous design had 2 shower rooms (one male; one female) that totaled 600 sq. ft. At $342/sq. ft these were
two bathrooms would cost approximately $205,000 of the total project cost. After modifications were made to
a similar design with all the same requirements at a total of 180 sq. ft, the Facilities Department was able to
make changes saving approximately $143,000 in those two bathrooms. Similarly, the kitchen, administrative
workspace, and waiting room were all shown opportunities for shared use and alignment.
The PBC and Facilities Department recognized some opportunity for saving on the overall cost through a
revised design which could lead to a potential absorption of the unique requirement for a future crematory
viewing room that could also serve as a waiting area for grieving families. The Facilities Department took on
the revision of the existing plans to account for these overlapping requirements preparing plans for an "addition-
ready" crematory.
Recommendation to Move Forward with the "Addition-Ready" Desitin: Our Committee was wavering over
the approach the Town should take in the construction of the Westview Cemetery Operations Building knowing
that for various reasons the construction had been delayed for the last year. However, understanding the interest
in moving the building project forward, the Committee voted in favor of an "addition-ready" approach. In
the future, should a crematory be recommended or funded, the amount of additional work required would be
limited in scope and not require substantive alterations to the building.
Estimated Capital Costs for Future Space: As we noted per our charge, we felt a crematory, if built, should
be collocated with the Westview Cemetery Operations building. From a capital investment approach, the new
design would allow for a 1400-1600 sq. ft addition on the back of the new building allowing for 2 retorts,
refrigeration, garage entry for delivery, and a window could already exist from the "viewing/waiting" room into
the potential crematory. Actual design costs for a future crematory would thus be limited in scope as to
completing the building envelope and bringing in a gas line.
Per conversations with the Director of Facilities as well as a review of recent cost increases in commercial
construction projects, it is very likely that the cost of building either the operations building or a separate
crematory will be 5-10% more expensive in 2020. Project pricing could also be further increased if the
Contractor processed change orders in order to accommodate undocumented modifications to the building prior
to pricing and contracting. There are 3 parts of the capital cost of adding the crematory in the future:
• Bring Gas Line into Westview building: $1504250K(estimated)
• Enclose the Crematory space: $342-500/sq. ft.
• FF&E (2 Retorts; refrigeration; prep equipment)
The addition-ready approach is the best bet to align all of the existing requirements proffered by DPW, into a
design that could support a future crematory.
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AD HOC CREMATORY STUDY COMMITTEE-FINAL REPORT TO THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Appendix G: Interim Report to 2019 Annual Town Meeting (continued)
Next Steps
The Ad Hoc Crematory Study Committee recognizes that there is much more work to be done which requires
extensive stakeholder engagement. The following list illustrates the unanswered questions and areas where we
need more data to build consensus within the committee. Each of these issues will be explored in the coming
months:
1) Business plan to sell crematory services
a. Marketing plan
b. Funeral Director engagement
c. Competitive pricing of cremation services in Massachusetts
2) Explore various business models
a. Operation run by Town of Lexington
b. Operation run by outsourced entity
3) Cemetery and crematory operational finances
a. Impact on the Perpetual Trust
b. Impact on the 45%/55% fee split
4) Discussions with other municipalities within a 50-mile radius
a. Is anyone else planning to build a crematory?
b. Are the opportunities to share responsibility?
c. Are there regional grant opportunities?
5) Crematory operational feasibility
a. Equipment Costs
b. Staffing Costs
6) Assumptions/Uncertainties
a. Anticipating future community needs
b. Financial Implications
This Interim Report was Approved by a vote of the Ad Hoc Crematory Study Committee 5-0-1.
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