Michael Sturm

A Master Plan for a Sacred Space: Located in the picturesque farmland of south central Wisconsin, the Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery needed a master plan to guide the cemetery’s expansion over the next few decades. Working with cemetery staff and the project civil engineer, I developed a master plan that expands upon the cemetery’s existing geometry, and through careful road layout, minimizes earthwork cut/fill imbalance. An existing stand of historic oak trees was preserved and now serves as the cemetery’s first scattering garden, and is becoming a favored burial location.

My responsibilities included: • Working with federal and state agencies to develop multiple master plan alternatives for cemetery expansion through 2030. • Finalizing selected master plan and preparing submittal documents for federal and state review. • Preparing construction documents in accordance with federal and state guidelines for first phase of master plan development. • Providing construction administration services for the first phase of expansion.