TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A proposal involving land owned by a Hillsborough County cemetery is prompting new concerns from residents and preservation advocates.
Showmen’s Rest, the organization that owns the cemetery, is seeking to sell a parcel of its property, a move that has sparked strong pushback from opponents including Aileen Henderson.
“It’s not okay to build on top of human remains,” Henderson said. “It’s just not okay.”
Although the disputed section does not have visible headstones, Henderson believes human remains may still be buried there. She told 8 On Your Side that her involvement with the cemetery began in 2021, when a previous development effort was successfully challenged.
“My great-great grandparents sit very close to the Potter’s Field, which is where they wanted to develop,” she said.
During Monday’s Hillsborough County Planning Commission meeting, Matt Sienk raised several of the concerns he said have been circulating in the community.
“There’s always been talk, and I don’t know if it’s true or not,” he said. “It would be in Potter’s Field, and there’s concerns that should be preserved, as what it is.”
Tampa City Council prevented residences being built on this portion of land in 2022. Now that the land is at the center of attention again, Henderson is gearing up for another fight.
“I don’t want my great great grandparents who were expected to rest in peace and death to have to contend with development,” she said.
John Perzia, president of Showmen’s Rest, said the group bought the land from the city, and that if people are buried there, the city needs to deal with it.
8 On Your Side asked the city if it had conducted any inspections to confirm whether there were remains there. A spokesperson said they hadn’t inspected the land, which is private property.
