Reagans File for Library Burial Site

Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, have submitted a formal application to Ventura County seeking permission to be buried on the grounds of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library near Simi Valley, officials said Thursday.

The Reagans would be buried next to one another in plots at the west end of the $60-million library if the application is approved, said Bob Laughlin, a supervisor in the county planning department.

Laughlin said planning officials met with Fred Hummel, project manager of the Reagan library, on Tuesday to discuss details for the burial site.

Reagan spokesman Bill Garber said the Reagans, who will lead Polish President Lech Walesa and his wife, Danuta, on a tour of the library Saturday, did not wish to comment on their request. Garber also declined to discuss the proposal.

“That’s a private situation,” he said. “We don’t want to discuss anything about that.”

A request was also made to sell food at the library and to extend operating hours so it can be used for lectures and meetings at night, Laughlin said.

He said the next step will be for the county planning department to evaluate the design of the burial site and to conduct an environmental review, which could take up to two months.

A public hearing would then be held before the County Planning Commission, which would decide whether to approve the project.

Finally, a cemetery license would have to be secured from the state Cemetery Board, said John Gill, executive director of the six--member board.

Gill said that for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation to secure a license, it must establish a corporation to oversee the cemetery and file a financial statement that outlines how the burial site and its upkeep will be paid for.

Reagan officials said it is too early to tell whether such a burial site would require additional security, which would add to the estimated $1.5-million annual operating cost.

Although the exterior of the 153,000--square-foot library is complete, the installation of exhibits, displays and furnishings continues. Reagan’s supporters had hoped to open the library on Reagan’s 80th birthday last month. But as the massive project continued, the scheduled opening was changed to November.

Reagan, a frequent visitor to the library, last month gave a tour to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her husband, Denis. Thatcher was in Los Angeles to celebrate Reagan’s 80th birthday.

Reagan has extended a similar invitation to Walesa and his wife, who are on a weeklong trip to the United States seeking help to reduce their country’s debt.

The Polish president and his wife are scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles this evening from Chicago and will attend a dinner of the World Affairs Council at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, officials said. The Reagans will also attend the dinner.