National Perspective : AMERICAN ALBUM : Rural Colorado cemeteries raise cost of dying : Officials boost prices of burial plots to keep out Denver residents, who were snatching up grave sites.

There was always a lot to like about Valley Brook Cemetery--at least, that is, as far as cemeteries go.

Shrouded by lodgepole pine, spruce and aspen trees, the picturesque 12 acres that run up a ridge just west of this ski resort community are the epitome of serenity. In the spring, a profusion of wildflowers dot the landscape while elk, deer and sometimes even a fox can be seen calmly roaming the hills.

But what many folks down in the flatlands of Denver and surrounding communities began to notice most about Valley Brook was that while living in Breckenridge was expensive, dying was cheap, dirt cheap.

In Denver, a cemetery plot runs $1,500, but in Breckenridge, one could be had for a mere $25. Granted, Breckenridge, population 1,200, is 80 miles southwest of Denver. Still, it was a deal hard to pass up.

It was a similar situation over in Idaho Springs, Colo., a former mining town of 1,300 full-time residents 35 miles west of Denver. Plots there were slightly more pricey at $75, but what’s to haggle about at those rates.

Consequently, flatlanders looking for places to rest their dearly departed began nosing around Breckenridge and Idaho Springs.

Until recently. To ward off prospective buyers, Breckenridge in April raised its plot prices to $100 for town residents and $500 for out-of-towners. January price hikes in Idaho Springs, which felt the unwanted interest most intensely because of its proximity to Denver, were much more dramatic--$300 for town residents, $750 for county residents and $2,500 for out-of-towners.

“We have limited space, and we really wanted to provide this area for the people who did live here,” explained Lynette Parker, Idaho Springs city administrator. “So, we adjusted our rates to pretty much match those in the metro area to discourage (out-of-towners) from coming here. We didn’t want to run out of room for the people who live in the community.”

Mary Jean Loufek, Breckenridge town clerk, says part of the reason the town upped its rates was because “that rate was so cheap that we were worried that people wanted to come in and buy large blocks.”

“We also wanted to enact some rules and regulations governing the cemetery so we could maintain the historic character of the cemetery,” she said.

When Breckenridge announced that prices would be going up, there was a small rush on cemetery plots. Loufek said she sold about 15 in two days in a town that normally sells 15 a year.

Other surrounding towns may soon be following the examples of Breckenridge and Idaho Springs. Louisville, Colo., about 20 miles north of Denver, has become a popular burial spot for Denver residents, with plots going for $250, half the cost of even the lowest-priced plots in Denver.

Park Supt. Rob Teetzel, who is in charge of the cemetery, estimates that of the 50 interments so far this year, at least half have been from suburban Denver.

“The number of people coming in from the Denver area has really picked up noticeably in the last year or two,” Teetzel said. “The plots are a lot lower priced, and a lot of people like it because of the location, you know, the trees and stuff.”

Teetzel and Louisville’s director of parks and recreation have talked of raising prices, but so far it has been only talk.

In Lafayette City, Colo., 17 miles outside of Denver, City Clerk Beverly Smith said she has noticed an influx of plot purchasers from Thornton and North Glen, two Denver suburbs.

That has caused some minor concern. It’s not that they bury a lot of people in Lafayette, a town of some 15,000. So far, they have interred only 16 this year. But one of four are from out of town and the cemetery, Smith says, is running out of space.

“Right now, we have around 500 spaces left,” Smith said of the 6,000-plot cemetery.

Lafayette City actually hiked its prices and set up a two-tiered price schedule to ward off non-residents back in 1979. Currently, the price is $200 for residents and $400 for non-residents. Smith thinks the town council might want to consider raising the prices again.

“Probably they should raise the rate, but there hasn’t been any concern yet. But that’s out of my jurisdiction. I just sell the plots, I don’t set the price.”