Lafayette Cemetery Plot Owners Given Options After Cemetery Deemed “Full”

Located on 111th Baseline Road, the historic Lafayette cemetery stopped selling new plots in 1999. Decades of overselling leading up to the late nineties decision resulted in bodies found in supposedly empty plots, and a temporary moratorium of interments placed on November 18th, 2025 from the former mayor. 

Overwhelming community concern surrounding the moratorium sparked a City Council’s resolution on Tuesday, July 21st. Citing protection of the sanctity of existing burials, the City Council voted to foreclose the cemetery to casket burials aside from individual exceptions, and provided plot owners with alternative choices.

This resolution established four options for those who bought a plot in the past:

1. Individuals can sell back their plot to the city through a Release of Interest for $3,500, a $2,000 increase from the buyback price set before on July 21, 2026. 
2. Individuals can opt for a cremated burial, with the city paying the cost for one cremains burial per plot ($1260). This does not include cremation costs.
3. Individuals can exchange their plot for burial right at Memorial Cemetery in Louisville, and receive a $2000 refund.
4. Individuals can express intent to keep their plot for a casket burial. These individual exceptions will be examined to see if the plot is still eligible using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and consultation from specialists.

Experts helping to determine the eligibility of a plot include State Archaeologist Holly Norton; Lafayette historians Doug Conarroe and Frank E. Archuleta; and consultant Chris Keller of LINc Partners, hired in part to help explain GPR to plot holders.

GPR is a non-destructive method to scan underground and detect remains that may have not been properly recorded in the past. According to 9News, there are around 2,000 visible markers on the surface, but a scan identified around 3,500 potential burial sites. Previously unknown remnants have already been disturbed during recent burials for new graves.

City Council was urged by some to quickly find a resolution after crews encountered unmarked remains. Still, several residents believe the decision needed more time. Lafayette City Councilor Kyle Beaulieu acknowledges the frustration felt by many families and individuals who bought plots. “This has been an extraordinarily challenging issue for many decades,” Beaulieu said, “and it’s unfortunate that the can was kicked down the road for a long time.”

He says GPR is the best method right now to ensure the remains currently there are not damaged. Some community members have asked for the city to dig in order to confirm whether a plot is feasible for burial, a practice Beaulieu is in strong opposition to. “Just because there were clerical errors made in decades past, doesn’t mean we should disturb and violate their [the bodies] rest,” he said.

Beaulieu emphasized the lead up to this resolution and the communication with the community was demanding, but he stressed transparency has been a priority to rectify the 20th-century council’s faults.

The Council has been mailing known addresses of those who purchased a plot starting November 13th, 2025 with information. So far, around 150 contentious plots have been discussed with the city. About 60 meetings have been held to discuss how to move forward, with around 40 more scheduled.

Many plot owners have been difficult to contact, as the 135-year-old cemetery has had a history of poor documentation. Another issue has been residents not updating their address while moving. 

Those who have already been in contact through mail have until January 31st, 2027 to decide what option they wish to choose for their plot. Individuals who have not yet contacted the Council have until October 31st, 2026 to call 303-604-3511. Once they have reached out, they have until the January 31st deadline to decide.

Although the logistics of finding space for all individuals with a plot seems impossible, after speaking with historians, Beaulieu believes many outstanding plots have been claimed in the 20th century by people who moved away. If many of these individuals do not claim the plots, he says “there’s a possibility that several hundred of the outstanding plots may not be at issue,” and the dilemma may become much more manageable. After the October 31st deadline, “We can metaphorically take them off the table, and then focus on the community that needs some justice.”

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