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Commission approves liquor sales rezoning at 1246 S. General McMullen after neighborhood objections
Summary
The San Antonio Zoning Commission approved an applicant’s request to rezone 1246 S. General McMullen to permit sale of alcohol. Neighbors and a neighborhood association opposed the change because of a nearby church; staff discussed Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) measurement rules and the measured distance to the church.
The San Antonio Zoning Commission approved a rezoning that allows sale of alcoholic beverages at 1246 S. General McMullen after public comment from neighbors and discussion about state measurement rules for liquor-license proximity to churches.
Amin Giovanni, the applicant, said he has owned the property for 15 years and sought to re-activate a vacant storefront by opening a liquor sales business: “tengo una propiedad por quince años… Yo quisiera poner, personalmente, una venta de licores ahí.” Neighbors and a neighborhood association opposed the rezoning, citing concerns about crime and the proximity of a Pentecostal church. In a voicemail read into the record, neighborhood association president Hortensia Peña said, “Estoy oponiéndome a la venta de licor basado, está a trescientos metros de una iglesia,” and asked the commission to deny the rezoning.
Staff and the commission’s legal representative explained how statute and regulatory guidance measure distance for alcohol licenses. A staff/legal representative told the panel: “La ley del estado dice que es puerta a puerta la medida… se debe de medir de la línea recta del punto más cercano de los dos puntos,” and noted the department’s measurement—door-to-door via the prescribed crossing—was approximately 257 feet from the proposed business to the church’s front door.
Commissioners discussed neighborhood outreach, the applicant’s operating history with similar businesses and the need for applicant-to-church communication if the TABC later finds the site within the 300-foot limit. Commissioner Bustamante said he visited the neighborhood and spoke with residents and representatives of two neighborhood associations; he asked the applicant to provide contact information to the church pastor. The commission voted to approve the rezoning; the motion to approve was made from the dais and seconded by Commissioner Watson.
The approval includes no change to overlay districts noted in the staff report. Commissioners directed the applicant to coordinate with the church and neighbors on concerns such as fencing and security.
