Commissioners adopt cemetery protection ordinance, shorten discovery deadline and direct an overlay plan

Following multiple public comments urging stronger protections for unmarked and historic cemeteries, the board adopted a cemetery protection ordinance aimed at identifying burial sites, stopping work when remains or funerary objects are discovered, and requiring documentation and preservation steps. The ordinance directs immediate stop‑work upon discovery of human remains or grave markers and includes civil penalties and a requirement to record operations and maintenance agreements when state permits require them.

Commissioners amended the draft to shorten the timeframe for property owners or surveyors to report known cemeteries from 30 days to 10 business days and directed staff to draft a voluntary cemetery overlay district that property owners could opt into to record and protect cemeteries upfront. The board also asked the cemetery committee to coordinate outreach to large landowners and community groups. Supporters from the Brunswick County Historical Society and local preservation groups said the changes respond to repeated incidents of disturbance and documented loss of grave markers.