Reagans Seek Burial Permit for Library

Former President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, have formally applied to Ventura County for 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 each other 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 for the 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, would not comment on their request. He also declined to discuss the proposal.

“That’s a private situation,” he said.

He said the next step will require the county planning department to evaluate the design for the burial site and to conduct an environmental review of the project, a process that could take up to two months. A public hearing would 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 in order for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation to get 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’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.