STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Less than a decade ago, Staten Island cemetery owners and funeral directors were predicting the borough might run out of burial spaces by the middle of this century.
And while it is true that there are no large plots of land available for additional designated cemetery space on the Island, according to those in the industry, the increase in cremation and use of above-ground burial is helping to preserve space for burials in the borough's cemeteries.
"In general, burial space is at a premium, not only on Staten Island but everywhere," said Robert Pinnisi, funeral director of Matthew Funeral Home in Willowbrook.
Barbara Loring, president of the Baron Hirsch Cemetery in Graniteville, agreed, noting that cemetery space is lacking throughout New York state. And burial space is a concern not only in large cities nationwide, but is becoming an international problem.
The Island may be faring better than some other areas, according to the New York State Division of Cemeteries, which has jurisdiction over not-for-profit burial spaces.
BOROUGH'S 'BEST KEPT SECRET'
"There are cemeteries in Staten Island that are close to full and there are others that have ample space remaining," the agency said. "The public not-for-profit cemeteries in Staten Island definitely have more space than those in the Bronx or Brooklyn, but several cemeteries in Queens [also] have ample space."
At least three Island cemeteries have ample space: Ocean View, Resurrection and Moravian.
"We are the best-kept secret on Staten Island," said Lisa Maddalone, superintendent of Ocean View Cemetery in Oakwood. "We have so much land available and people drive by and don't realize a cemetery is here. We have enough land for another 100 to 150 years.
"The non-sectarian cemetery has over 130 acres, of which 42 are developed," Ms. Maddalone said. The cemetery is currently in the midst of developing five acres, in preparation for the future burials.
Lisa Maddalone, superintendent of Ocean View Cemetery, in Oakwood, said her cemetery has plenty of land for future burials and cremations. She said most Staten Islanders don't realize how big the cemetery is and how much space they have. While the majority of it is undeveloped, Ms. Maddalone said plans are currently underway to develop five acres of property in preparation for future burials. (Staten Island Advance/Kiawana Rich).
Resurrection Cemetery in Pleasant Plains also has no space problem.
"We have enough space at Resurrection on Staten Island for 100 years," said Andrew Nagle, associate managing director of cemeteries with the Archdiocese of New York, which oversees the cemetery. "We have 60 more acres to develop ... we have plenty of room."
Nagle said the cemetery is currently developing new sections for in-ground burials. However, only Roman Catholics and non-Catholic immediate family members can be buried at Resurrection.
SEEKING SPACE WHERE POSSIBLE
Some smaller Island cemeteries have much less space and are continuously looking for unused grave plots on their property. At Baron Hirsch, which handles only Jewish burials, Ms. Loring is currently seeking unused burial grounds for future use. She said the cemetery currently has between 4,000 and 5,000 burial spaces available.
With an eye toward future generations, she said, "We are doing everything possible to have more space going forward."
Frederick Douglass Memorial Park in Oakwood still has about 50 plots available, according to a spokesperson. Fairview, a 10-acre nonsectarian cemetery in Castleton Corners, has about 1,000 graves for in-ground burial use, said trustee Mary Lou Hayes.
Marian Semon, a representative with St. Mary's Cemetery in Grasmere said her site recently opened up a new space and they have room for roughly 30 graves.
"We are still advertising plots. We don't have a lot of space left," said John Denarro of Silver Mount Cemetery, Silver Lake. He noted that New York state allows cemetery owners to reclaim spaces after 75 years if no one is buried there. "Sometimes people also sell them to us if they have had them for years and years but don't use them."
A SHIFT TAKING PLACE
But the limits on burial space have Island cemeteries preparing to increase methods such as cremation and entombment in mausoleums. Pinissi noted that Resurrection has "a beautiful new mausoleum building that offers above-ground entombment, and cremated remains can be placed in niches, and Moravian has three mausoleums and is building a new one to provide a lot more space."
According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the average cost of a funeral is $8,343; the average cost of cremation is $2,260.
John Vincent Scalia Sr., who heads the John Vincent Scalia Home for Funerals, Inc. in Eltingville, said there is actually plenty of burial space on the Island, thanks to cremation and mausoleum trends here - and more Islanders are choosing them.
John Vincent Scalia, Sr., the founder and the licensed funeral director of the John Vincent Scalia Home for Funerals Inc., in Eltingville. The home handles over 500 funerals a year, "the largest volume on Staten Island for a single funeral home," said Scalia. (Staten Island Advance/Kiawana Rich.)
Scalia said funerals can start at $7,000, followed by added costs, such as purchasing a monument, a grave opening and lettering. With cremation, he can offer casket rentals for services, and then people may choose to bury, entomb or simply scatter the ashes.
"This saves even more money. You don't have to buy a niche in a cemetery," he said. But he said some people want a special place to mourn their loved ones and niches or burials provide that.
"Cremation is a big thing in the cemetery industry and what's made it big is that it is more affordable," said Ms. Maddalone of Ocean View. "When you go to a funeral home, by the time you pay for a funeral it can run about $15,000, and not everybody has that kind of money. This is the most economical way to go and still memorialize the person."
Best way to maximize space
She said the first columbarium (a facility with space for urns) Ocean View built is sold out, so she has added two additional ones. By building columbariums and mausoleums, cemeteries "are best maximizing the space they have available for the future."
Ms. Maddalone said some people choose mausoleums for above-ground burials because it is the custom: "I am Italian and we want mausoleums because this is the way they used to bury [the dead] in the native country."
Within the Jewish community, the cremation numbers are much lower, Ms. Loring said, but they are growing. Baron Hirsch has had a columbarium and handles six to eight cremations a year.
According to Nagle, Resurrection has a 12 percent overall cremation rate. While "the numbers are increasing," traditional burial is still the norm, he said.
The National Funeral Directors Association projects the burial rate for New York state this year will be 51 percent, and the cremation rate will be 41 percent.