Cemetery Maps

[Ric7308]

I have a couple of questions for the County Surveyors out there regarding County procedures for land dedicated for Cemetery purposes.

SMA Section 66412(c) states that land dedicated for Cemetery purposes under the Health & Safety Code is inapplicable under the SMA.

State Health & Safety Code, beginning with Section 8501 states map requirements for cemeteries and that maps shall be recorded with the County Recorder. These sections do not state whether an LS or PE is required to prepare the maps.

My questions to you:

1. Do those maps pass through your office before proceeding to the Recorder's Office? If so, for what reason(s)?

2. Does the Recorder require that the Cemetery Map be prepared by a Professional Engineer or Land Surveyor? If not, do they accept the maps from anyone or do they have requirements in place?

This question is also for those Land Surveyors or Professional Engineers that have been involved in this process.

Thanks
Ric

[dmi]

It has been almost ten years since I work on a cemetry map. This was for the Hollywood cemetery, the original layout was done by CW Cook in the 1900's. I do not recall any review at the county level. It seemed as though everything ran through the State. Paul Cook is still in business in Santa Barbara and he may remember in the ins and outs of the process. Neither of us were around for the 1900's mapping effort, we just worked on updates.

[Jim Frame]

I don't claim to know much about cemetery matters. However, I've done some work for the local cemetery district over the years, and to my knowledge the only maps they have on file with the county pertain to the exterior boundary, not to the individual plots. The district states that the plot owners have "interment rights," but that ownership of the plots remains vested in the district.

There never was a proper survey made of the plots. A couple of years ago the district began developing a new master plan that included expanding into undeveloped areas of their holdings. I was engaged to take the historical district records (mostly internal maps with scant dimensions) and prepare a map of what was there so that the new areas could be appropriately subdivided into plots. I tied in the assortment of home-brew monuments that district staff had installed over the decades, and fit things together as best I could.

The project is currently in limbo; I think the cost of the master plan process turned out to be bigger than the budget. However, at no time was preparation of a map for recording mentioned, so I'm assuming the district believes that it's exempt from the H&S Code mapping requirements.

[subman]

I recall a newer Catholic cemetery in the Lancaster area of Los Angeles County that developed in the last 12 years. I will check next week if a "cemetery map" was processed through our Land Development Division or Survey Division for the County Recorder. I seem to recall a Conditional Use Permit and a bulk grading plan to rough grade the site for initial development as a cemetery. The assessors maps show the parcels as dashed lines, so there is no indication that the master cemetery parcels were created as part of a parcel map under the SMA.

[Scott]

After reading the Health and Safety Code, it appears to me that any "cemetery authority" is given the power to "survey and subdivide". However, for any activities that fall under the definition of surveying per 8726 PLSA, then a LS would be required. 66412(c) exempts from the SMA but not the PLSA. Unlees there iis some exception for "cemetery authority" in the PLSA. I am unaware of any.

[goodgps]

Simply put, Cemetaries. Schools etc do not require tentative approval. A cemetary is like a "Subdivision" It will have a map and show the plotting of the "plots" Blocks may or may not necessarily be monumented, however there must be sufficient control for the proprietor to locate each unit.

For the last one I worked on, monuments were set at avenue centerlines.
Curb slashes were placed on plot line extensions.

And NO, the plots dont extend to the centerline of the avenue. It is a common area.

[subman]

No institutional knowledge of any cemetery maps being processed through the County Surveyor or County Engineer in Los Angeles County before going to the County Recorder.

[Ric7308]

Thank you all for the comments and insight.

Ric