Plan to Build Homes on 200-Year-Old Cemetery Sparks Outrage

A plan to build news homes on a Fremont cemetery’s ground is continuing to rouse concern from residents.

According to ABC-7, one resident who lives next to St. Joseph’s Cemetery believes that there are still remains on the 5.5-acre site where homes are soon to be built.

Resident Joe Lonsdale told ABC-7 that he witnessed 251 graves being dug up in 2007 but that more bodies remain where the new homes will sit. He has tried to get Edenbridge Homes, the Los Altos-based developer, to halt its plans.

As construction is underway, Lonsdale is trying to rally support from community members.

Located near the corner of Mission Boulevard and Martingale Drive, St. Joseph’s Cemetery is more than 200 years old, with the oldest gravestone marked 1887, according to ABC-7.

St. Joseph Church sold the cemetery property for $5 million dollars in order to build a new church and says it will rebury any remaining graves if others are found during construction, ABC-7 reports.

The plan sparked outrage then, too, according to this 2010 report, also from ABC-7.

But it’s more than the fact that bodies could remain on the site that has residents upset.

“It’s morally and ethically wrong!” writes Lisa Ussery, who started an online petition via change.org.

The online petition, which includes a simple letter to the City of Fremont City Council urging them to stop construction, had received close to 200 e-signatures as of Monday afternoon.

Several others agreed with Ussery.

“No building should be built over a cemetery! Shocked,” wrote Teresa Gonzales.

“The cemetery needs to be left alone, and the people that are at rest there be allowed to rest in peace,” added Jim Harper.

View the online petition here.

Watch ABC-7’s report here.

What do you think? Is it okay to build homes on the site if all of the graves are removed? Tell us in the comments below.