TITLE
Recommendation to accept the transfer of real property at 1095 East Willow Street, Assessor Parcel Numbers 7212-009-903 and -908, also known as Sunnyside Cemetery (Subject Property);
Accept the transfer of unrestricted funds associated with the Subject Property (estimated at $540,000);
Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute any and all documents necessary to effectuate the transfer, including the assumption of all contracts related to plots and burials; and
Accept Categorical Exemption CE-19-204. (District 7)
DISCUSSION
Established in 1906, Sunnyside Cemetery, at 1095 East Willow Street (Subject Property) (Attachment A), is the second oldest burial ground in the City of Long Beach (City). The Subject Property measures approximately 13 acres and is the final resting place to about 16,000 people, including former Union soldiers, Japanese Americans who suffered internment during World War II, and several pioneering Long Beach figures, including former City Mayor and Farmers & Merchants Bank founder C.J. Walker and the City’s first Fire Chief Joseph Shrewsbury. The Subject Property was designated a historic landmark by the City in 2000 and the Friends of Sunnyside, acting as the Cemetery Board (Board) has furthered its mission to celebrate the lives, history, and legacy of Long Beach; and, to help descendants honor their ancestors’ rich heritage through partnerships with local nonprofit organizations and by hosting cultural-historical events for the Long Beach community. The Subject Property continues to offer an opportunity for visitors to learn about the history of the City and its founders.
The Board, a private nonprofit organization registered in the State of California, has licensed, operated, and maintained the Subject Property as a private historic cemetery for 19 years. In recent years, declining revenue resulting from the lack of space to sell new burial plots and the increasing cost for maintaining aging infrastructure, necessit...
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