The San Antonio City Council approved a conditional rezoning to allow a funeral home, cemetery and mausoleum on land near FM 1937 after public comment from dozens of residents opposing the project.

Opponents told the council the proposal would reduce the city's tax base because cemeteries are tax-exempt, lower nearby property values, increase traffic and pose environmental risks; the applicant and its representatives said the development would include community benefits such as donated acreage and scholarship funds.

Residents from the Mission del Lago area and other south San Antonio neighborhoods packed public comment, telling the council they opposed siting another cemetery in the area. "Nuestra oposición es basada en 3 preocupaciones," said Meryem Smith, summarizing tax, saturation and environmental worries. Several speakers said existing nearby cemeteries and funeral homes already provide capacity for the foreseeable future and that cemetery property would not generate property tax revenue for schools or local services.

Jet McKay, who identified himself as representing SCI, the applicant, said the company has set aside five acres for community use and proposed scholarship funding. McKay said the project site is largely outside current city limits, described the site plan and a traffic study, and said the company intended the development to be "park-like" and to operate as a local partner: "Estamos proporcionando más que solamente un cementerio, estamos proporcionando una sociedad con la comunidad, becas, bibliotecas, muchas servicios."

Council discussion focused on zoning law limits and what matters the council may consider when weighing a rezoning. The council's attorney and multiple members said the governing legal standard for this vote is land-use and zoning criteria, though several members acknowledged environmental and community-impact concerns could be discussed in the review. Councilmember White said the body is charged to "hablar solamente sobre lo que te refiera a uso de suelo o a zonificación." Councilmember Villagrán, whose district includes the site, said she had worked with neighbors and the applicant and described the site's context along FM 1937.

The item as presented sought a change from R-4 to C-2/NACD with a conditional-use authorization for a funeral home, cemetery and mausoleum on acreage described in staff materials as amended from the original request; the applicant described the site as roughly in the 69–72 acre range and located at 13279 FM 1937. Staff noted the zoning request would exclude certain provisions of the San Antonio Code related to cemeteries (San Antonio Code, Chapter 7, Cemetery Sec. 7-1) as part of the conditional request and reminded the council that zoning decisions are made under the city's code (cited in the hearing as Chapter 2-11 for zoning parameters).

After public testimony and council remarks, a motion to approve the rezoning (agenda item 0.6) was made and seconded; the council voted by voice and the motion passed. The motion included an amended site area from the original application; staff noted notification numbers on the file showing public input (staff reported hundreds of written submissions for and against the project in the administrative record).

The vote was by voice; the record in the meeting transcript does not show a roll-call tally. The council did not adopt new environmental or operational restrictions on the record beyond the conditional-use language presented. "Hay una moción y está secundada para aprobar el 0.6. Por favor, voten. La moción pasa," the transcript records.

Opponents left the hearing still voicing concerns about tax loss, public-school funding and long-term environmental effects; the applicant emphasized community donations and programs. The council's approval authorizes the conditional zoning but does not itself implement site improvements; subsequent permits and any required environmental or development approvals would follow the city's permitting and regulatory processes.