Lenox Cemetery Commission Adopts Cremation Policies, Approves Bluestone Flagpole Area Design

Other Committee · Meeting of June 30, 2026

Lenox Cemetery Commission adopts new burial policies and approves flagpole area design in final meeting for two commissioners. The commission voted unanimously at its June 30 meeting to adopt a revised Guidelines and Policies document establishing two cremation plot sizes — a 2.5-by-4-foot single plot for up to two urn burials and a 5-by-4-foot family plot for up to four — and formalizing natural burial procedures at Stockbridge Cemetery, which is one of more than 63 Massachusetts cemeteries permitting burial without a vault or grave liner. The commission also unanimously approved a bluestone landscaping proposal from contractor Tom Farley for a circular flagpole meditation area, capped at under $12,000, with member Pat directed to consult Town Administrator Michael Canales on funding mechanics before notifying Farley; roughly $5,000 has been earmarked from the perpetual care fund, with the remainder expected to come from a new $10,000 annual cemetery appropriation approved at the most recent town meeting.

A $4,707.50 native planting proposal from Untamed Gardens was tabled pending completion of vault repointing work. The meeting marked the final session for two long-serving commissioners, Karen and Candace, who have overseen much of the cemetery's recent preservation activity.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,665 words

Source: the Other Committee meeting of June 30, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.