According to a concerned group of local citizens, A.C. Dunlap Memorial Cemetery off East Olliff Street near Packinghouse Road has fallen into disrepair.
The cemetery, formerly known as Eastside Cemetery, is on privately owned land. It is adjacent to the current, much larger Eastside Cemetery. (The current Eastside Cemetery is owned and maintained by the City of Statesboro.)
Historically, A.C. Dunlap was the local African American cemetery. The land was passed down for several generations and is currently owned by Lynne Nelson, who lives in New Jersey. The cemetery previously had a local manager but no longer does.
According to J. Johnson, who used to manage the property, the grounds are not being properly maintained -- despite repeated requests from family members who have loved ones buried there. The grass is now overgrown, and debris litters the area, both of which make it hazardous to enter. Johnson says this prevents family members from safely visiting the final resting places of their loved ones.
Johnson wants to bring awareness to the situation and encourage those with loved ones buried at A.C. Dunlap to check on their plots and report any overgrowth to the City's code enforcement office.
City code enforcement may be solution
The Code Compliance Division of the Planning and Development Department at the City of Statesboro is dedicated to protecting the public health, safety, welfare, and investment in property through effective code compliance efforts.
Code Compliance Officers respond to requests for services and complaints of violations, as well as conduct proactive patrols of the City and self-initiate compliance and enforcement actions with a determined focus on violations that jeopardize the
health, safety, welfare, or investments of the citizens and property owners of Statesboro.
Due to the condition of the cemetery and the property owner living out of state, Johnson believes that contacting Code Compliance may be the most effective way to address the issue.
2018 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC)
Statesboro’s City Council voted at its regularly scheduled council meeting on March 2, 2021, to approved the International Property Maintenance Code. This is a code compliance tool that will provide more specificity to residents and code compliance officers in identifying code violations. Now that this code has been adopted, the
city’s code compliance officers will enforce any of these code violations.
The following section of the code pertains to A.C. Dunlap Cemetery:
SECTION 302
EXTERIOR PROPERTY AREAS
302.4 WEEDS.
Premises and exterior property shall be maintained free from weeds or plant growth in excess of (per Code Complaince Officer) six inches in height. Noxious weeds shall be prohibited. Weeds shall be defined as all grasses, annual plants and vegetation, other than trees or shrubs provided; however, this term shall not include cultivated flowers and gardens.
Upon FAILURE of the OWNER or AGENT having charge of a property to cut and destroy weeds after service of a notice of VIOLATION, they shall be subject to prosecution in accordance with Section 106.3 and as prescribed by the authority having jurisdiction.
Upon FAILURE to comply with the notice of violation, any duly authorized employee of the jurisdiction for contractor hired by the jurisdiction shall be authorized to enter upon the property in violation and cut and destroy the weeds growing thereon, and the costs of such removal shall be paid by the owner or agent responsible for the property.
How to file a complaint
To file a complaint, you may contact the City of Statesboro Code Compliance Department at 912-764-0630. You may also contact Senior Code Compliance Officer Charles Brown at [email protected].
When preparing to file a complaint against the property owner, be sure to have documentation of dates, times, and relevant details.
