Please note: we are not soliciting for donations. Any suggestions given here go to Change.org, not the Nicolsons. This is solely a petition to present to the city to request they preserve the land.

Nicolson's Strawberry Farm, on the corner of Foothill and Grove, is under threat. The land is currently owned by San Antonio Hospital. They are in the process of selling to a developer that wants to build a 308 unit apartment complex on the land. This will be large, four story buildings, and will not have adequate parking. This will create many traffic problems, at an already busy intersection where it is difficult to get emergency services due to each side of the street being a different city! 

We understand the need for more housing, and the state's requirements that our city builds. However, this particular spot is deserving of preservation. 

The Nicolson Farm has been at this location for 36 years. They have established themselves as part of the community. Many families have been getting strawberries there for generations. And with their U-Pick days, it's always wonderful to see families spending the day together. We live in a world where most city kids have no idea where their food comes from. Local farms can be an important part of educating our children. 

Before the Nicolson’s, the land was occupied by the Kramer Brothers’ Camellia Nursery. The nursery began its life on Red Hill in 1927. At first, they grew heather. In the 1930s, they started growing azaleas and camellias, which they became famous for. The barn itself was built in 1937. According to a 1972 article about them in the Upland News, they used to deal with people searching for the fabled Red Hill treasure, and digging up their plants when they would get a hit off a metal detector. Usually, they found pipes, but once, they found a skeleton with a Spanish dagger! Go to any nursery today, and you will find the ‘Kramer’s Supreme’ camellia. They developed many varieties over the years. Cited in the 1972 article is the ‘Pat Nixon’ camellia, which the first lady herself planted in state capitol grounds.

Route 66 was built between 1926 and 1932. This means that The Kramer Brothers were there to see the first federal highway paved. The National Park Service states that, “Until the height of the Great Depression, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and the desert communities of southeast California had a collective total of only 64.1 miles of surfaced highway along Route 66.” A part of my own family were Dust Bowlers who likely came to California along Route 66. I doubt I need to speak more on the history, or importance of the highway, as anyone who grew up along any part of it is already aware. 

I don’t know that any of this history is enough to designate the land as an historical landmark. But without a doubt, it is of historical importance. Our city Municipal Code (Chapter 2.24) states that we will “protect, preserve, enhance, and perpetuate those historic sites” that “embody and reflect the City’s aesthetic, cultural, architectural, and historical heritage.” We will foster civic pride, regardless if these spaces have been designated as historical resources or not. 

Here is this land, part of the original Ranch run by John Raines, a local farm for the last 100 years, situated on an historic route. It is right down the street from the historic Sycamore Inn, and the John Raines house. It is the last local farm within our city limits. It needs to be preserved. I ask that you stop any development of this land, and preserve it as a link to our past. This farm is not just any piece of land; it is a symbol of our heritage and history. 

By signing this petition, you are not only preserving a piece of Rancho Cucamonga's rich history but also ensuring that future generations have access to tangible reminders from their past. We will be giving the petition to the Planning/Historical Preservation Commission for the city of Rancho Cucamonga to show them how many people agree that the land qualifies under the municipal code to be preserved.

Please sign this petition today and join us in preserving our local heritage for tomorrow's generation!