WASHINGTON -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has purchased a 544-acre site in Oakland County, Mich., near Detroit, for a national cemetery, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi announced today.
VA purchased the property in Holly Township for $6,209,000 from Fagan Lake Development Co., of Highland.
“The Detroit area has been on VA's priority list for building a much needed national cemetery to serve the veterans of southeastern Michigan," Principi said. "We're glad we now have the right property to convert this goal to reality in a relatively short time."
Funds to purchase land for a cemetery were included in VA's 2002 budget. The national cemetery will serve approximately 460,000 veterans who live within 75 miles of the site. Presently, the nearest VA national cemetery is Fort Custer National Cemetery near Battle Creek, approximately 130 miles away. First burials in the new cemetery could occur in 2004. Another year will be required to build the cemetery's permanent buildings and roadways.
The Holly Township site is about 40 miles northwest of downtown Detroit, 2 miles west of Interstate 75 and bounded on the north by Belford Road.
VA completed an environmental assessment of four possible sites in the Detroit area last fall. In total, eight sites were considered. VA found that developing a cemetery on the Holly Township site would have no significant adverse environmental impact.
VA was looking for a minimum of 270 acres to accommodate 90,890 burial sites needed by 2040.
Nationwide, VA operates 120 national cemeteries, of which 61 have casket gravesites currently available. All veterans with discharges other than dishonorable, their spouses and dependent children are eligible for burial in VA national cemeteries. Information on VA burial benefits can be obtained from national cemetery offices, from a VA web site on the Internet at http://www.cem.va.gov or by calling VA regional offices toll-free at 1-800-827-1000.
