In front of a standing-room-only crowd, two Snellville city leaders convinced the rest of the City Council Monday night to delay the opening of a controversial crematory near a residential neighborhood.

Mayor Pro Tem Warren Auld and Councilwoman Kelly Kautz told the crowd of about 200 residents that they are concerned about possible health concerns from allowing the cremation of bodies at U.S. 78 and Abington Drive, a property that backs up to residents' homes.

The business owner, Chris Nuzum, filed a request last week asking the city for a certificate of occupancy, a permit required for any business to open its doors in Snellville.

Auld and Kautz successfully lobbied to block the issuance of the permit until they can gather more information about the environmental impact of crematories.

"The issue here is the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Snellville," Auld said. "And it's about following the law."

"It's not about politics," Auld said. "It's not about blame. That's not why we're here. We're here to fix the problem that is in front of us."

The crowd applauded Auld for standing by his motion, prompting Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer to bang on his gavel.

"We've got a lot to discuss," the mayor said. "Please hold your applause until the end of the meeting."

Several residents laughed and others scoffed at the mayor.

"I'm serious," he said.

Oberholtzer said it's the planning director's job to decide whether the crematory owner or any business owner has met the requirements to obtain a permit to open. He said the city shouldn't treat this business owner differently than the owner of any other business.

The mayor said he's interested in fair play, but that doesn't mean he wants the crematory in a residential area.

"I can tell you right now I'm not pleased with a crematorium there," the mayor said.

Dozens of residents scoffed loudly and some shouted "no" in disagreement. One resident joked that she would sit on the mayor if he didn't help block the crematory.

The mayor was the only one on the City Council to vote against studying the possible environmental impact of a crematorium. He did say, for now, the crematory can't open its doors until the owner obtains a state license.