Council approves reinterment plan after developer uncovers 74 graves at former St. James site

Charleston City Council on Oct. 28 approved a resolution accepting a reinterment plan for human remains discovered during construction at Courier Square Phase 2, 635 King Street.

City staff said the discovery — 74 burials associated with the former site of St. James United Methodist Church — triggered procedures under South Carolina Code sections 27‑43‑10 and 27‑43‑20, which require notice and a public hearing before a governing body may adopt a reinterment plan. Miss Copeland, the city presenter, said the developer coordinated with Brockington and the church and offered a plan to relocate the remains to Bethany Cemetery.

Anna Catherine Alexander of the Preservation Society of Charleston urged ‘‘site‑specific consideration in addition to that at Bethany Cemetery’’ and praised the developer’s consultation with state authorities, saying the project ‘‘was consistent with best practice.’’

A public speaker raised broader concerns about zoning and community impacts, and the council then moved, seconded and approved the resolution to accept the reinterment plan by voice vote.

The action will be implemented through the city’s standard permitting and preservation‑review processes; the presentation noted the church provided a letter of support and that the developer coordinated with state‑level professionals to prepare the reinterment plan. The council did not record a roll‑call tally in the transcript for this vote beyond the voice affirmation that the motion carried.

The council took this vote as the first of several public‑hearing agenda items and then proceeded to take items 4–9 together for subsequent readings.