Save the Spadra Cemetery from the construction project next door!
Development is threatening the Spadra Cemetery!
Trumark is determined to build a large residential complex in the green space alongside the historic 1868 Spadra Cemetery.
They have cut down several of those giant old oak trees, and intend to cut down more.
Their plan involves blasting away some of Elephant Hill behind the cemetery, to clear more space.
Their plan for construction results in removing this now rare lovely green space from the communities that love it. Cemetery walkers, hikers, rock climbers, and bird watchers of Pomona will be pushed out, and the cemetery itself will be altered by this.
The Environmental Impact Report indicates there is no way to fully protect the cemetery from the various adverse impacts this construction is expected to cause. The construction plan does not even include the bare minimum protections we are now asking for.
If you can, please print out and sign the letter below about including protections for the Spadra Cemetery. Please, add any stories that might make it more personal, such as what the cemetery means to you or to the community. If you are unable to print or mail this letter, please call us at 909-623-2198, and we can set up a time at our office on Holt to print it out for you to sign. You could also email your concerns directly to Senior Planner Alex Jimenez, at the Pomona City Planning Division, at Alex.Jimenez@pomonaca.gov
​
Please make sure your letter or email to the city includes the words, "Elephant Hill Public Comment," to make sure they send it where it's needed!
Sample Letter
The following sample letter contains protections for the cemetery that the Historical Society of Pomona Valley is requesting from the construction project. These are very small requests in relation to the size of the project. Please copy and paste any or all of this letter into your message to the city!
Letter in Support of Protecting Spadra Cemetery
Date:
City of Pomona
505 S. Garey Ave.
Pomona, CA 91766
Planning Department
Attn: Alex Jimenez, Senior Planner
RE: Letter of Support — Required Protections for Spadra Cemetery (Trumark Project)
Elephant Hill Public Comment
Dear Honorable Mayor, Councilmembers, Planning Commissioners, and City Staff,
I am writing to strongly support the Historical Society of Pomona Valley and to respectfully urge the City to require the developer to provide the protections and improvements the Historical Society has requested for Spadra Cemetery, an irreplaceable historic resource.
The Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for this project finds that the development would adversely affect Spadra Cemetery and result in a permanent impact that cannot be fully mitigated. Because this harm is lasting and unavoidable, it is both reasonable and necessary for the City to ensure the developer provides meaningful, enforceable, and long-term measures that protect the cemetery and support public access.
Accordingly, I respectfully ask the City to make project approval conditional upon the developer providing the following protections requested by the Historical Society:
• Road Access Improvements: Safe and reliable access from the development to the cemetery, including an improved and paved service road capable of accommodating emergency vehicles.
• Parking and Turnaround Space: Adequate space for safe parking and vehicle maneuvering for visitors, volunteers, and educational groups.
• Perimeter Protection: Installation of a secure and appropriate fence around the entire Spadra Cemetery property to prevent encroachment and deter trespassing.
• Gates and Controlled Access: Installation of gates at key access points, including where the cemetery driveway connects to the service road, to limit unauthorized access.
• Caretaker Residence: Construction of a caretaker home located near the cemetery to provide consistent on-site stewardship, deter vandalism, and support long-term protection of the historic site.
• Natural Hillside Treatment: All feasible steps should be taken to ensure the new hillside and surrounding grading and landscaping appear as natural as possible, using sensitive design, natural contours, and appropriate plantings to minimize visual and environmental impacts to the cemetery’s historic setting.
Spadra Cemetery deserves protections that reflect its historical significance. I respectfully urge the City to adopt these measures as enforceable conditions of approval to ensure the cemetery remains protected, accessible, and respected for generations to come.
Thank you for your consideration and for your stewardship of Pomona’s historic resources.
Respectfully,
CC: Historical Society of Pomona Valley
Project Name
There is no way for this project to go through, without severely impacting the cemetery. Trumark has refused to sit down and discuss any actions to prevent damage and disruption to the cemetery with us. The train tracks have already blocked us out of our tours and clean up efforts. We need to be able to access the cemetery to preserve it, restore it, and share it with the community!
