Establishing a Veterans Cemetery at the Former Fort Ord October 2016 Update In 1991, with the announcement of Fort Ord closure, an important opportunity surfaced to create a final resting place for veterans and their spouses. A 178 acre site was set aside in the 1997 Fort Ord Reuse Authority (FORA) Base Reuse Plan for a veterans’ cemetery east of General Jim Moore Boulevard at the corner of Parker Flats Road and Normandy Avenue. Because a federal cemetery exists within 100 miles of former Fort Ord (the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery in Gustine), the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) determined that it would grant funds to design and build a Veterans Cemetery but the facility would have to be State owned and operated. Fortunately, the State/California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) agreed to operate and manage such a facility. In 2002, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery Foundation (CCVCF), was formed to help raise funds for establishment of a new Veterans Cemetery at former Fort Ord. In 2006, then State Assemblymember John Laird sponsored successful legislation that included terms for an estimated $3.4 million maintenance and operations endowment to be funded prior to beginning cemetery design/construction. A Citizens Advisory Council (later called a Cemetery Advisory Committee) was formed in June 2007 under the auspices of the Monterey County Department of Military and Veteran Affairs to also help advocate for and move the Cemetery project forward. A conceptual cemetery draft Master Plan was prepared in September 2008, funded by Monterey County and the Fort Ord Reuse Authority (FORA). The Master Plan defined in-ground burial and cremation columbaria, a Wall of Honor, Memorial Hall, non-denominational chapel, military/veteran history museum, amphitheater, and public walkways, benches and landscaped areas. The plan also included defined areas for habitat restoration, recreational facilities, and residential and commercial development. The Veterans Cemetery is located primarily within property boundaries of the City of Seaside, with a portion also located within the boundaries of the County of Monterey. In an effort to support establishing the Veterans Cemetery, the Seaside City Council passed a resolution saying that upon development of its former Fort Ord land in this area, a portion of funds from the land sale proceeds (the "endowment parcel") would be dedicated to help fund the Veterans Cemetery. In 2009, the City of Seaside, on behalf of the City and County of Monterey, issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit purchasers for the "endowment parcel" portion of the then 178 cemetery site. Uses such as residential or a related private cemetery were envisioned, with proceeds from a purchase to be used to capitalize the cemetery endowment. Although no purchaser emerged during the RFP period, the City and County remained open to talking with potentially-interested users. In March 2010, CCVCF placed a sign at the location of the future cemetery. The marker served as a call to the community to join in the effort to honor all veterans who have served and defended our nation over many years and generations. To help move the Veterans Cemetery even further, then-Assemblymember William Monning (now a State Senator) sponsored AB 1757 which became law in September, 2010. Passage of this legislation shortened the cemetery design and construction process by allowing full design of the Veterans Cemetery to proceed, and allowing phasing of the construction and the endowment. Also in September 2010, the City of Seaside and the County of Monterey received another inquiry about their respective Fort Ord properties. Each subsequently entered into an Exclusive Negotiations Agreement (ENA) with a potential developer. The proposed project, called Monterey Downs, includes the endowment parcel and is currently moving through a legally-required review and approval consideration process. Should the proposed development receive approvals, full funding for the Cemetery endowment is expected to be provided. In October 2010, HR 3219, the Veterans Benefit Act of 2010 passed Congress and was signed by the President. Among many items in this new law was an increase in certain burial and funeral rate allowances, including an increase in the amount of plot allowances for Veteran cemeteries from $300 to $700 effective October 2011. The importance of the rate increase was to reduce the amount of endowment required, and thus be able to move the Cemetery project forward much more quickly. Since that time, however, the Master Plan has been revised and there are now a total of 11 additional phases for full completion of the Cemetery, each with a requirement for the community to match 10% of federal grant funds required for each phase, and a State requirement for the community to pay an additional 30% administration/overhead charge to plan and build the current 17-acre segment as well as future segments. Good news was achieved in September, 2011 when AB629, sponsored by then-Assemblyman Monning, was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown allowing FORA to act on behalf of the California Department of Veteran Affairs (CDVA) in design and construction of the Veterans Cemetery. This helped somewhat to further speed the Federal construction funding process. Also in September, 2011, FORA, Monterey County, the City of Seaside, and the Veterans Cemetery Foundation entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which confirmed the commitment of the parties to work together to design, fund and construct the Veterans Cemetery. The 78-acre Cemetery parcel was subsequently designated and title to the cemetery property was transferred to the State. In 2014, the 78 acres of the cemetery site were deemed clear for cemetery design and construction, allowing the State to secure Federal funds for design and construction. Title to the 78 acres was then transferred from the Fort Ord Reuse Authority (FORA) to the State (CalVet) following verification of munitions cleanup. In 2015, thanks to leadership from Congressman Sam Farr, Senator Bill Monning, Assemblyman Mark Stone, former Carmel mayor Jason Burnett, Jimmy Panetta, many generous donors, multiple Veteran organizations, the CCVCF, and many others, $3.5 million (for required 10% "local matching" funds for the Federal VA grant and the required 30% State administration fees) were garnered and the VA construction grant was obtained for the first 17-acre segment. The Federal grant did not provide sufficient funds for a full service cemetery. The first 17 acres accommodate cremated remains only, and there will be no capacity for placement of caskets until we are able to fund the next 28-acre phase. While the steps are tedious, the initial segment of the Veterans Cemetery here on the Central Coast will at last open on Tuesday, October 11, 2016! The Central Coast Veterans Cemetery Foundation (CCVCF) remains committed to raise funds to expand the Veterans Cemetery so that both placement of cremains and caskets is provided for our Veterans. The State has indicated that costs for expansion for the next 28 acres range from $ 3.5 - $5 million. CalVet will have to submit an application for another Federal VA construction grant, and Congress will have to approve funds for the next construction grant in the national budget. The purpose of the Central Coast State Veterans Cemetery at Fort Ord is to provide a place of final rest for members of all branches of the military, and their spouses and dependent children. To obtain more information about the Veterans Cemetery or to contribute to this effort, please contact the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery Foundation at P.O. Box 849, Marina CA 93955, send an email to info@ccvcf.com , or visit the Foundation’s website at www.ccvcf.com . We appreciate your interest and thank you for honoring and caring about our nation’s Veterans. |
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