Different opinions voiced about Jefferson City National Cemetery expansion

JEFFERSON CITY — Different opinions were voiced at the Jefferson City Parks and Recreation Commission meeting Tuesday night on whether or not the East Miller Park should be relocated.

The relocation would add more spaces to the Jefferson City National Cemetery.

Those for the relocation include mostly veterans, who support gaining spaces to the cemetery that has been full since 1969.

Don Hentges, Jefferson City Veterans Council President, presented an argument in favor of expansion and relocation.

"We watched our buddies die, and then we don't even have a place to bury them if they were from Jeff City," Hentges said.

There are some who hope the expansion does not take place in order to keep the public park.

Hans Overton supported arguments to keep the East Miller Park as is.

He said he doesn't want to lose a park where many memories were made.

"Fraternity and sorority organizations who have had picnics, and basketball games out there," Overton said.

Those for the expansion expected a decision at the meeting. Commission president Chris Lueckel said he did not want to vote until everyone was there.

Lueckel said relocating the park would mean an investment in improvements.

"If it's relocated, Park Avenue is a park that's existing but doesn't have a lot of resources and hasn't been upgraded in quite some time. So we're looking at that would be one of the options. And then on the Elm Street, there's an area that's not been a park but is city owned, but the city has agreed that if this plan progresses that they would donate that to the parks so that we could develop that so it would be a brand new park," Lueckel said.

The Parks and Recreation Commission said they want more community input before making a final decision.