LEMAY, Mo. (AP) - St. Louis County is considering selling around 38 acres of parkland to the federal government for the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, which is expected to run out of space for graves in the coming years.
But opponents say the plan is at best a short-term fix, and they view selling portions of Sylvan Springs County Park as an encroachment on a neighborhood asset.
Around 150 residents attended a public hearing Tuesday in Lemay to make their case for and against the proposed sale.
Army and Navy veteran Arnold Baum told county and Jefferson Barracks officials who hosted the meeting that several of his relatives, including his father, are interred in the national military burial ground.
"I'm representing the men that shed their blood, dying to protect this country (and) who want to be buried in that cemetery," he said. "Don't ask me to hurry up and die in the next five years so I can be buried next to my father."
Opponents of the sale say other options should be considered, places with more space and not in a metropolitan area.
"This is a temporary solution for Jefferson Barracks, but a permanent loss for the community and a permanent loss for the park," Carolyn Pufalt of the Missouri Chapter of the Sierra Club said.
Jefferson Barracks officials say the cemetery likely will run out of space between 2021 and 2027. The additional 38 acres are estimated to meet the demand for military personnel and immediate family burials through approximately 2038.
Those in favor of the sale acknowledge it isn't a long-term solution but say it's the best alternative until the more burial space is found.
A second public hearing is set for tonight in Lemay.