Fight to Preserve West Tampa Cemetery with Possible Unmarked Graves

Renewed Push to Preserve Cemetery Land

• 📌 Community advocates are fighting to preserve the Marty Colon Cemetery property in West Tampa, where unmarked graves are believed to exist.
• ⚠️ New plans have surfaced to split the land for development, reigniting efforts to protect the site.

Concerns Over Unmarked Graves

• 💡 Eileen Henderson, founder of the cemetery society, highlights that open fields in cemeteries often conceal unmarked graves of those who couldn't afford markers.
• 💔 She emphasizes that these individuals are not resting in peace, and their burial grounds are facing disturbance.

Development Plans and Opposition

• 📜 The owner of the Marty Colon Cemetery has submitted a parcel reconfiguration application to split the property into four lots.
• 📈 Henderson interprets this as a potential indication of future development, aiming to prevent it.

Past Efforts and Future Hopes

• 🔍 Last summer, ground penetrating radar indicated signs of something beneath the surface when a Jewish organization considered buying the land for a burial ground.
• 🗳️ A previous proposal to designate the property as a cemetery was voted down by council members after some neighbors opposed it.
• 🙏 Henderson hopes the community will voice their support to protect these historic cemeteries from development.