What happened?
McKinney City Council members voted to table a zoning request for the Advantage Storage facility located on US 380. The zoning would allow for a 120-foot tall cell tower to be built on the southwest portion of the property.
The zoning request was tabled during an April 15 meeting after council members inquired about building the cell tower at a different location. While the item is tabled, Mayor George Fuller said city officials will assist in finding an alternative location at the intersection that is not adjacent to the houses on Meadow Ranch Road.
“I think that with staff jumping on this, we might be able to come find a solution that, again, achieves what you need and doesn’t hinder, or hurt that neighborhood,” Fuller said.
Council members are expected to reconsider the item at a May 20 meeting.
The details
The proposed cell tower’s location is about 228 feet from the nearest residential property line, according to city documents. The city’s development code requires the cell tower to be located at least 120 feet from the nearest residential property line.
Mark Rutledge and Rick McDaniel, residents who live on Meadow Ranch Road, spoke on the item during public comment. Both residents echoed concerns they voiced during a March 25 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting about health effects to nearby residents.
Rutledge urged council members to “tap the brakes” on the zoning request and said different locations in the area should be considered.
“Our neighborhood is not opposed to cell towers,” Rutledge said. “We’re not opposed generally to this cell tower.”
What they’re saying
Council member Geré Feltus said the neighborhood on Meadow Ranch Road, which is part of her council district, has seen a lot of rapid change over a couple of years. Feltus said she would love to see if there’s another option for locating the cell tower.
“Whatever we can do to assist in this matter, we’d like to do it but we don’t want to negate the fact that there are people with a gaping hole in their communication,” she said. “At this point cell service is an essential utility.”
Quote of note
David Prejean, chief operating officer for Crafton Communications, spoke during the council meeting on behalf of the applicant hoping to build the tower.
Prejean said they respect how the neighbors feel and are willing to do whatever it would take to please the council.
“We want to be good neighbors,” he said. “We’re not against exploring those other corners with the understanding that that’s what we’re looking at.”
