The town will consider hiring a landscape architect or other professional to come up with a plan to preserve at least part of the black wrought-iron fence around the historic Dunning Street Rural Cemetery in the middle of downtown Malta.
The Town Board voted Monday to pursue quotes after it became clear that preservationists and the private cemetery’s board remain at odds over the financial feasibility of restoring the fence.
The board voted down the cemetery’s request for a financial hardship exemption from a preservation ruling by the town’s Historic Preservation Review Commission, but then asked for a professional to come up with a compromise plan that could preserve at least some of the fence, which faces a busy stretch of state Route 67.
A firm plan, board members said, could be a basis for fundraising to preserve the fence, or at least the parts of the fence that are in the best condition.
“Hire a design professional, and then there’s a plan to raise funds towards [the plan],” said Councilman John Hartzell.
Cemetery officials say they have just under $20,000, which they believe would be enough to replace the existing fence with a modern fence, but not enough to restore the existing fence. Cemetery sexton Royal Arnold said nobody who informally quoted a price on the iron work has been willing to follow through with a firm commitment.
Preservation commission members have estimated the cost at around $46,000, and new informal quotes in that range were presented to the Town Board just before Monday’s meeting.
“We can’t spend money we don’t have,” said Lori Blow, who is on the cemetery board.
The dispute over the fence has gone on since early 2015. The Town Board heard the hardship application this March, but tabled the matter until June to allow for private fundraising.
On Monday, it became clear that while organizations like the Malta Business and Professional Association have offered to raise or donate money, they don’t want to do so without a plan for the fence.
That prompted the call for the town to hire an architect or engineer, who could come up with a plan to save the best parts of the fence or could come up with other solutions.
“This is a situation where there probably is some sort of middle ground,” Hartzell said.
The cemetery was established in about 1775 and includes the graves of some of the town’s founders. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Reach Gazette reporter Stephen Williams at 395-3086, [email protected] or @gazettesteve on Twitter.
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