Tod Stephens: The Dirt: Riverside Memorial Park project will attract the living

Dec. 22—Permits submitted to Spokane County show officials at the Riverside Memorial Park cemetery plan to modernize a portion of the 56-acre property.

Plans include a small event space, fire pits encircled with Adirondack chairs, gardens and burials for humans and their pets.

Before construction can begin, the plans must be passed by the Fairmont Memorial Association Board.

The project will be discussed and potentially approved at the group's meeting on Jan. 23, according to David Ittner, CEO of the Fairmount Memorial Association.

Ittner said the project is a modernization of the end-of-life service industry.

Since Washington ranks among the top states in the country for cremation rates, the project aims to cater to this demographic by providing a permanent place for cremated remains.

"Whether you're scattering remains or keeping them at home, over time those places change," he said. "One of the beautiful things about a cemetery is it's here forever, so we're trying to create a space that future generations can come to and in their own grieve, remember and celebrate their loved one."

The $2 million project, at 508 N. Government Way, will encompass about 7 acres and be completed in multiple phases, Ittner said.

For the past five years, Ittner has worked on the project.

He completed smaller projects at other cemeteries in the area including the construction of two fire pits and a cremation garden at the Pine Cemetery in Spokane Valley.

Demand for gathering spaces at cemeteries is a growing concept, Ittner said.

"We see it all the time, people putting out lawn chairs and sharing some beers or a meal with their loved one," he said. "And, we already put on events where we invite customers in for events and opportunities that aren't sad and overwhelming but celebrate the lives of their loved ones."

For years, customers have inquired about the opportunity to be buried alongside their animals, which Ittner said is a legal gray area.

In Washington, animals cannot be buried in cemetery-designated property, according to Ittner.

Though he hopes to provide this service, he said details regarding the opportunity are yet to be determined.

While plans are still coming together, Ittner said the project will be used by generations.

"As time goes on, grief changes and evolves, but I don't think closure is ever an appropriate term," he said. "Because (deceased loved ones) will always be part of your life, whether they're present or not."

Instead of sitting next to a gravestone to spend time with the deceased, people can be more comfortable if the project is completed.

"This will be a place where you can enjoy your time and want to come back," he said. "You can be spending time with their loved ones sitting by a gas fire pit with a coffee or cocoa in a pleasant, landscaped setting."

Town home permits completed in Cheney

Permits have been finalized by Spokane County for six town home buildings in Cheney. This is part of a six-building, 73-unit development on the southwest corner of Aero and Fruitvale roads.

The buildings range from eight units to 17 and have a combined footprint of more than 84,000 square feet.

The 5-acre vacant plot of land, at 7320 S. Fruitvale Road, will host 167 parking spaces, private driveways, sidewalks and stormwater evaporation ponds, according to an environmental review for the project.

Spokane Valley-based Whipple Consulting Engineers and Pence Properties Cheney LLC applied for building permits.

The building permit valuation is more than $9.2 million, according to previous Spokesman-Review reports.

Pence Properties Cheney LLC purchased the property for $625,000 in 2018, according to the Spokane County Assessor's Office.