In an effort to revitalize some of San Antonio’s oldest resting places, city officials are brushing the dust off a decades-old master plan aimed at improving the condition and amenities at their historic cemeteries. Spanning over 103 acres and home to over 26,000 grave sites, these cemeteries house the legacies of the city’s forefathers and lay at the heart of Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez's district. "The cemeteries are a historic and vital part of our community," McKee-Rodriguez said in a statement obtained by San Antonio Report. However, he lamented that, "Unfortunately, ours have been neglected."
The city's parks department is now revisiting a 1990 master plan funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which stands at 68 pages and offers a comprehensive blueprint for managing the sites. Although the original plan’s recommended enhancements - including a visitor center and better paving and lighting - have gone largely unimplemented due to their $11 million estimate, current officials believe there's no need to reinvent the wheel. Assistant Director Nikki Ramos told the City Council’s community health committee recently, "Our thought is, 'Why start from scratch when we already have an existing master plan?'
This call to action involves not just looking at the past but also addressing current needs within a living city. Landscape architect Martha Lyon points out that with creative thinking, cemeteries can offer much to the living, serving as green spaces for gatherings, walking or bird-watching. "People would come in and picnic there," Lyon said in an interview quoted by San Antonio Report, recounting how cemeteries were once park-like and utilized for various recreational activities.
The plan also calls for partnership with private owners of surrounding cemeteries to ensure upkeep and the formation of fundraising and “friends” groups. In terms of tangible history, these cemeteries are etched with names of notable San Antonians—from business tycoons to local heroes. Despite sometimes being a magnet for curious tourists and diligent groundskeepers, general community engagement has been low. Xavier Garza, Park Liaison Supervisor of Park Stewardship, told San Antonio Report, "They'll find a grave and they'll add it to the Find A Grave app," highlighting one of the way visitors interact with the site's history.
Local residents, such as Vanessa Shelton, president of her neighborhood association in Dignowity Hill, urge the city to pay more attention to the East Side. According to the San Antonio Report, she stressed the long-standing neglect faced by the community saying, "We want it all." Shelton's reflection mirrors the complex dynamic between the city’s rich past and the equally pressing demands of its present-day citizens.
