BOUNTIFUL—In the far north end of the Bountiful Cemetery sits a serene spot with night lighting and bubbling water. A place where families can go to mourn their loved ones in a peaceful setting. It’s called the Healing Garden.

“There has been more demand for cremation space,” said Parks Director Brock Hill. “It gives more options to being buried. We’ve seen it in other states and we wanted to offer that service to Bountiful.”

There are different options, not just one specific one, he said. “There is the columbarium. It’s like a locker with 12x12 square spaces in a cube. It’s set in a stack of four spaces.”

The boulder niche is a boulder with a hole drilled into it to put the urn in, said Hill. “Then a brass plaque is placed over the hole and that’s the headstone.”

A bench is another option, he said. “A hole is drilled in the leg and the urn is set inside. The bench is sealed and engraving on the seat or leg becomes the headstone.”

A hole is drilled in the bottom of a granite block niche, Hill said. “A brass plaque is mounted to the block and that is the headstone for those.”

The standard 12x12 cube can be buried in the ground, he said. “In-ground burials are common.”

Hill said the Healing Garden has four benches, a dozen granite blocks, 48 columbariums and a dozen boulders. “There are 130 spaces. With the boulders you can have companion holes for husband and wife and also the granite block. The bench and columbariums only have one space but there is an option to convert them. Instead of the 12x12 plaque it can be 12x24 to cover two spaces.”

It’s about a third of the cost of traditional burial, said Hill. “There’s also less cost in terms of maintenance.”

Hill said they work through a monument company to provide materials. “We use a quarry for the boulders.”

A columbarium at the bottom level is $550, he said. “That includes taking the granite plate off, putting the urn in and engraving and maintenance of the space. Prices go up more to $850 if it’s at eye level. A bench space is $1,800. That all includes the care and opening and closing.”

It’s in an expansion location, he said. “We’ll be moving east to 200 West. We have room for three additional phases.”

Planning started in 2019, Hill said. “Construction began in 2020. In the spring of 2021 it was ready for people to purchase. The benches are pretty well sold and the niche wall columbarium is filling up. As we need to, we'll grow. There’s more demand as there aren’t many options where you can go.”

Bountiful is about the only place left for those (cemetery) services in south Davis County, he said. “Centerville is sold and Farmington has limited space.”

The City Council decided to place limits in the cemetery for non-resident use, Hill said. “It’s only in time of need and then they can only purchase one space.”

Things are moving quickly, he said. “The need is outpacing residents and we want it to be primarily for residents. So much is from outside of Bountiful that is taking up space.” 

The healing concept is relatively new in Utah, said Hill. “We want to be more respectful by providing these spaces. It’s been well received.”