AUSTIN, Texas — The public input period for people to submit their thoughts on the proposed cemetery rules is coming up. It could change the way Austin residents have been remembering their loved ones, for years.
Madison Cooper, 47, said the death of his son, Wiley, changed him forever. Wiley was stillborn on Thanksgiving Day, almost a decade ago. On this Father’s Day, and other holidays throughout the year, Cooper is visiting his son at Austin Memorial Park, one of the five cemeteries Austin's Parks and Recreation Department, PARD, oversees.
“On the flush mount here, it says, 'our joys will be greater, our love will be deeper, our lives will be fuller, because we shared your moments,'” Cooper said. “So that’s about how we have a deeper appreciation for what we had and then also being here continues to nurture that.”
Cooper believes the way that the city-owned cemetery looks now is beautiful. He said his family selected it because of the color and character, as well as the willingness of PARD, at the time, to help them create the personalized space.
“If I come out and bring something, it’s an offering and I believe that it has meaning and we sought that and we’re given that,” Cooper said. “I think that what they’re doing now is a threat to that.”
The City of Austin has new proposals for the cemetery rules, in hopes of providing safety for maintenance crews and visitors. The revisions would allow existing benches, but they must be on the owner’s designated burial space.
There will also be a “memorialization space,” which is within two feet from the top of the space and no more than 42 inches high. Stones, flowers, and other memorabilia can be placed there or on the headstone.
Cooper said he wants more clarification about any recourse, before action is taken by PARD. The department said they plan on working with families, if they were interested, on a case-by-case basis
“They should find ways to manage growth, not retroactively change what’s been done so allow people to keep the objects that they have and figure out a way to navigate that,” Cooper said. “If they don’t grandfather it in, then I’ll have to rip this up and it’ll be pretty heartbreaking.”
The public review period ends June 24.
Comments may be submitted in writing or via email to:
- D’Anne Williams
- Parks and Recreation Department
- 919 W. 28 ½ Street, Austin, Texas 78705
- (512) 974-9456
- danne.williams@austintexas.gov