Resident asks Pompano Beach to install gate at Westview Cemetery; city says cemetery is privately owned

A Pompano Beach resident urged the City Commission on Sept. 23 to provide a gate and other repairs at Westview Cemetery in Collier City, saying the site is in poor condition and asking the city to intervene.

“Can we get a gate for Westview Cemetery?” speaker D’Apresha Lassane asked the commission, saying the cemetery is exposed, has litter and animals, and includes the graves of notable local residents. The speaker pleaded with the commission to “show us some dignity” and asked staff to point residents to a process to pursue improvements.

City officials and commissioners responded that the cemetery is private property. “Just for the record, the city has never owned Westview Cemetery, so we can't take it back,” a city official said during public comment. Commissioner Beverly Perkins told Lassane that staff was “working on something” and that she would meet with the community when more information was available.

Lassane questioned whether the city could reclaim control; a city speaker replied that the ownership status prevents the city from simply taking it over. Other commenters noted a sense of urgency because loved ones are buried there and conditions are visible from the road.

Why this matters: residents said Westview Cemetery’s appearance and safety matter to families and the community. The speaker described the cemetery as visibly exposed from Copeland Road and said a gate and maintenance would show respect for the deceased and their families.

Next steps: commissioners said staff is working on options and will follow up with the community. No ordinance, funding or formal action was adopted on Sept. 23.

Speakers quoted are attendees and commissioners from the Sept. 23 Pompano Beach City Commission meeting.