In a nutshell
Of the city’s roughly 85 cell towers, about 10 are on city property, according to the presentation. The total number of cell towers is difficult to ascertain because cellular equipment can be small and placed inside buildings, making them difficult to detect and likely making the actual total number of cell towers much higher, Quint said during the work session.
Council member Justin Beller, who represents Council District 1, noted that Craig Ranch and central McKinney have gaps in cell coverage. Available city property is scattered through the city, with the biggest portions of available land in central and east McKinney, in Council Districts 1 and 3, with additional land in southwest McKinney near Craig Ranch in District 2, according to Quint’s presentation.
Because cell coverage is a private service, Quint suggested issuing a call for proposals from companies that could coordinate with cellular providers to install equipment on city property, with the company maintaining the cell structures. Council Member Patrick Cloutier noted that residents in Council Districts 2, 3 and 4 have complained about poor cell service.
“I want to see us do more to be proactive on this,” Cloutier said.
Zooming in
Council approved three new cell towers in southwest McKinney in February, with two of the new towers on city property, attached to the Stacy Road elevated water storage tank and at the intersection of Wellness Way and Stars Avenue. Quint said seven of McKinney's nine elevated storage tanks have attached cellular service structures.
“I would compare this to our efforts on broadband,” Beller said, referencing the city's 2023 partnership with internet infrastructure provider SiFi Networks to improve internet access in underserved areas of the city. “We took steps to partner with somebody to deliver that service, and I think from a cell standpoint, we should try to do the same thing.”
Looking ahead
Honey Creek, a 1,650-acre municipal management district, is currently under development north of the Painted Tree community and could bring more than 10,000 new homes to Council District 3, increasing the area's need for cell coverage.
"With Honey Creek coming just north of Painted Tree, I just want to make sure that we have a plan to address incoming growth," said council member Geré Feltus, who represents Council District 3.
