By Mary Alice Murphy

Terrazas Funeral Chapels owner Luis Terrazas told the Beat about his plans for a vacant lot near the funeral home.

"I am invested in the Mining District, and I want to continue to invest in the Mining District," he said.

He noted he went to the Village of Santa Clara to learn the boundaries of the lot and their map was not up-to-date, but he has since found a marker.

Terrazas said he has walked the lot several times to determine if it would work for his proposed project.

"Then I had to do some homework on whether there was enough room," he continued.

His proposal is to create a small, and he emphasized small, RV Park with perhaps 10 to 15 spaces, because there is no such park in the Mining District.

He hears from families who come from out-of-town, and they struggle to find hotels or find spaces sometimes to park their or a family's  RV to attend a funeral or if a family member is in the hospital. "We will offer bereavement rates."

His project was on the a recent Santa Clara Board of Trustees agenda but he was unable to attend due to a family conflict. He presented it to a special meeting this evening. 

"I also didn't have all the facts I needed before presenting the project at the previous meeting," Terrazas said. "Business etiquette shows that we should inform the Board of Trustees before giving the information to the media,"

He plans the usual utilities, such as power, water and sewer for the park.

He's ready to get started, but knows it will take months to get the permits. "I just want to serve the people who need a space to park a trailer."

The Board of Trustees approved a lease/purchase agreement until the proper survey can be completed, at which point the survey and other required documents will allow a formal closing.