Cemetery Background

Hermosa Gardens Cemetery: Honoring the Past, Restoring for the Future

For more than 130 years, Hermosa Gardens Cemetery has been a sacred place for Colton families, a place where generations are laid to rest with dignity and care. Since 1905, it has been in the care of the City of Colton.

But like many historic cemeteries, its age presents unique challenges: aging infrastructure, shifting headstones, outdated irrigation, and the need for continuous repairs to maintain safe, dignified grounds. These challenges are compounded by decades of deferred maintenance and the financial limitations common to municipal cemeteries, making restoration a complex and ongoing effort.

In 2000, daily operations were outsourced to a private operator under a 50-year lease agreement to a mortuary, part of a larger trend of cities transferring cemetery management to independent entities. Across California and the nation, municipalities moved away from direct cemetery oversight due to rising maintenance costs, declining revenue from plot sales, and the growing complexity of state regulations.

However, in 2023, when the operator sold its company, the City of Colton reassumed full management and daily operations of Hermosa Gardens. After 23 years of outside management, what we found was deeply concerning — decades of deferred maintenance, aging and failing infrastructure, inadequate records management, and a level of customer care far below what our community deserves.

Inherited Challenges

In 2023, the City inherited numerous long-standing problems that had been left unaddressed for decades, including:

  • Generational gopher and ground squirrel infestations that caused uneven ground and compromised the appearance and safety of gravesites
  • Irrigation system failures that left much of the property without consistent watering, creating dead patches and damaging landscaping
  • Shifting and sunken markers caused by soil erosion, burrowing activity, and a lack of regular maintenance
  • Deteriorated infrastructure and facilities, including aging equipment, worn pathways, and general disrepair
  • Inadequate records management, making it difficult to quickly assist families and verify burial locations
  • Poor customer service, leaving many families frustrated by unreturned calls, unanswered questions, and unfulfilled commitments.

Daily Operations

To ensure consistent, reliable service, daily operations are managed by a contracted vendor. This new partner has been more collaborative and solutions-focused than previous operators, working closely with City leadership to address both immediate needs and long-term improvements.  This small but dedicated grounds crew handles the cemetery’s day-to-day needs, including:

  • Grounds maintenance and beautification
  • Addressing immediate repairs and operational issues
  • Scheduling and facilitating burials and chapel services
  • Providing on-site support for families.

 To strengthen continuity, City staff are now present in the cemetery office along with the contracted vendor, ensuring that records, scheduling, and customer service remain responsive and consistent. In addition, City Parks crews occasionally assist with large-scale maintenance or urgent projects, helping to bridge gaps and keep operations running smoothly.

 Stabilizing Operations 

The City’s immediate priority was “damage control.” City Staff and the new vendor worked tirelessly to:

  • Resolve urgent customer service concerns
  • Fulfill long-overdue headstone and marker installations
  • Make essential repairs to facilities, equipment, and grounds
  • Improve accessibility and restore key areas of the cemetery.

The Challenge of Gophers and Ground Squirrels

One of the most persistent issues at Hermosa Gardens has been long-term gopher and ground squirrel activity, which has damaged the grounds, disrupted markers, and compromised irrigation systems. To address this, the City is launching a more aggressive gopher elimination program with a specialized vendor.  Gopher Impact

Bringing Stability and Consistency

Beyond these immediate efforts, the City has focused on bringing stability and consistency back to Hermosa Gardens. For too long, operations and maintenance were inconsistent and reactive. Today, there is a deliberate and organized approach to managing the cemetery from regular office hours and responsive, helpful staff to standardized procedures, reliable customer service, and ongoing grounds care that reflect the dignity this space deserves.

Building for the Long Term

Once the immediate crises were addressed, efforts shifted to building a sustainable foundation for the cemetery’s future. This included:

  • Regular maintenance & beautification – improved watering schedules, reseeding, and grounds care
  • Continuous repairs & upgrades – replacing failing equipment, addressing shifting headstones, and renovating aging infrastructure
  • Rose Garden revitalization – a redesigned space for cremation memorialization
  • Historic building preservation – initial improvements to protect and enhance cemetery facilities
  • Tree canopy care – pruning and long-term planning for healthy shade cover

 Financial Investment and Municipal Limitations

In the past two fiscal years, the City Council has allocated nearly $850,000 from the General Fund to manage, stabilize and improve Hermosa Gardens.  It is important to understand that municipal cemeteries operate under significant financial limitations:

  • Most burial sections were sold decades ago, meaning little to no revenue is generated from property sales.
  • Service fees for burials and interments typically do not cover the true costs of operations, requiring supplemental funding from the City’s General Fund.

 Looking Ahead

While progress may feel gradual, it is evident, from revitalized roadways and improved landscaping to enhanced customer service that Hermosa Gardens is on a clear path to recovery. The City has also invested in digitizing records, purchasing new operational equipment, and creating updated cemetery policies to ensure consistent, compassionate care.

To further address one of the most persistent issues, the City is also implementing a new, more aggressive gopher elimination program with a specialized vendor.

 A Community Effort

The City of Colton remains dedicated to transforming Hermosa Gardens into a cemetery our community can be proud of, one that honors its historic legacy while meeting the needs of future generations.

While this work is ongoing, we deeply appreciate the community’s patience and support as we continue restoring Hermosa Gardens into a dignified and well-maintained resting place for all.