Colorado's Lafayette Cemetery plot decisions must be made by Halloween deadline

The deadline for people who purchased plots at Lafayette Cemetery to decide what the next steps are is Oct. 31. Earlier this year, more than 200 remains were found buried in plots that had already been sold to people in anticipation of their final resting place. 

The city said errors in historical record-keeping led to overlapping burial designations with 270 outstanding plots. 

The city established a moratorium to halt all casket burials starting this fall, and conducted a ground-penetrating data study. That study included recommendations by the state archeologist and showed that the cemetery, which dates back to the 1800s, is nearly full even though there are still 270 outstanding plots.

The city offered four options for existing plot holders, including refunds, exchanges, cremains-only use, or a limited path to future casket burial.

The options include:

• Sell their plot back to the City for $3,500.
• Keep their plot for cremains burial and complete a cremains burial agreement. The City will cover the cost of one cremains burial per plot.
• Exchange their plot for one at Coal Creek Cemetery and receive a $2,000 refund.
• Maintain their plot for a future casket burial under the limited exception established by the resolution, if plot conditions show a casket burial might be feasible.

According to the City of Lafayette, 97 plots are in the process of being sold back to the city, 15 plot holders are entering into cremains agreements, and three plot holders have chosen to transfer their plots to the Coal Creek Memorial Cemetery, which is also managed by the City of Lafayette. 

Any plot holder interested in discussing their circumstances with the city can call 303-604-3511, email the city, or find additional information on the city's website. 

They can also submit written correspondence to:

Office of the City Clerk 
City of Lafayette
1290 S. Public Road
 Lafayette, CO 80026