The Sitka Assembly voted Tuesday night to rezone local cemeteries to protect burial grounds and the people interred within them. The change would impact six cemetery properties in Sitka.
Ariadne Will, a planner with the city, said the cemetery district was created in 2019, and since then, only one cemetery has been rezoned. At the time, local cemeteries were zoned with more permissive designations that would allow for redevelopment that could disturb gravesites. She said the change is in alignment with the city’s comprehensive plan, and is a gesture of respect to the people interred.
“This is particularly pertinent given the history of disinterment of Indigenous remains,” Will said.
Assembly Member Scott Saline also pointed to the Indigenous and other marginalized communities who historically weren’t treated with respect in Sitka. He said it’s about time something was done to protect where they’re buried.
“It’s just a thing of awareness of, you know, Sitka keeps going, housing [is] going up, but there were people here before us, and we’re late on respecting them,” he said.
The assembly voted in favor of the zoning change 7-0. The ordinance will come back to the assembly table for a second vote on Nov. 24.
