OREM — The city of Orem may need to turn a set of soccer fields into a cemetery earlier than expected.
Orem bought the land next to the existing cemetery in 1995. It wasn't expected to be needed for cemetery expansion for another 25 years.
But public works director Bruce Chestnut says the city is running out of lots to sell. The existing space — once expected to be adequate to 2020 — now may fill up several years earlier.
That will mean expanding into an area popular for soccer, exercise and other outdoor activities.
He says the soccer fields and recreation area would need to be shut down about a year before the city begins offering cemetery space there.
The new area will provide about 11,000 new lots. That's expected to be enough to meet demand for about 30 years.