(A) Only one grave marker shall be placed on any single grave. Only one permanently affixed vase, approved by the cemetery administrator, is allowed on a grave marker. The marker shall be set so that it is flush with the ground. The installation of markers shall be supervised by a designated employee of the town. If a marker is not installed in six months from the date of interment, the town may install a marker at the owner’s expense as provided in the Rules of Rose Cemetery.
(B) Grave mounds are prohibited. No grave or lot shall be raised above the existing established graves.
(C) Other than grass, there shall be no other planting of any kind, including trees, flowers or shrubs, on any lot.
(D) Except for markers, as above provided, vases permanently affixed to the marker, and natural flowers in vases or wreaths, and seasonal displays are provided in the Rules of Rose Cemetery, no other objects or item shall be placed upon a grave or lot, except by the written consent of the cemetery administrator.
(E) Easement owners are responsible of maintenance of any monument, headstone or footstone.
(F) Existing above-ground grave markers/monuments that do not meet the requirements of subsection (A) above are permitted to remain as long as they are in good repair and are stable. When a grave marker becomes unstable, collapsed or a danger, the town will attempt to contact the next of kin to repair or remove the marker or monument in 30 days. If next of kin cannot be located, or if the next of kin decline to remove the marker/monument or if the marker/monument is listing or in danger of collapse or is in any other way a hazard to the public or town employees, town staff will remove the marker/monument and store it at the Public Works Department yard for one year. If unclaimed by next of kin within one calendar year, the town will place the marker/monument in a section of Rose Cemetery that is unused and in which no burial plats will be sold. Markers and monuments shall be placed in a safe and stable position to minimize the danger of collapse.
(G) Objects of remembrance. "Objects of remembrance" are defined in G.S. § 100-2.1(a) as "A monument, memorial, plaque, statue, marker, or display of a permanent character that commemorates an event, a person, or military service that is part of North Carolina's history."
(1) Objects of remembrance (the "object") may only be moved to preserve the object or when necessary for construction or renovation of buildings, open spaces, parking lots or transportation projects. One exception to the requirements of the statute is found at G.S. § 100-2.1(c)(3); "An object of remembrance for which a building inspector or similar official has determined poses a threat to public safety because of an unsafe or dangerous condition."
(2) If an object becomes damaged, broken, unstable or collapses, except that the town will not dispose of the object. If next of kin cannot be found or they decline to restore the object, the object will be moved to a suitable area of the cemetery designated for objects and placed in a safe and stable position, including laying the largest side of the object directly on the ground.
(1989 Code, § 5-11; 2003 Code, § 3-3.11) (Amended 6-1-2021; Amended 9-7-2021)