The request, against city staff’s recommendation, will enable the construction of a 155-foot cell tower near Trinity Falls, city documents state.
The gist
Tulsa-based communications infrastructure developer Hemphill requested the commission to rezone the lot near the intersection of Trinity Falls and Laud Howell Parkways. The proposed cell tower, at 155-feet tall, would be 30 feet over the 125-foot height limit for cell towers in commercial zoning areas, McKinney City Planner Stewart Starry said.
Hemphill representatives requested the lot be rezoned from local commercial to planned development, which allows for taller tower construction with a specific use permit, according to McKinney’s Universal Development Code.
The request also included an exception for the tower's setback, the minimum distance between the tower and the lot’s border. City code requires communications towers to have a setback equal to the tower’s height, Starry said. Hemphill requested a setback of 24.5 feet, roughly 130 feet below the minimum.
What else?
City staff advised against granting the request.
“These requests significantly deviate from established standards intended to protect public safety, preserve aesthetic quality and ensure neighborhood compatibility,” Starry said. “The proposed zoning request does not adequately mitigate the proposed height increase or setback reduction.”
On the other hand
Ralph Weingarten, a representative for Hemphill, said they intend to build the tower on the southwest corner of the lot to leave space for future development.
The proposed 155-foot tower would be shorter than three other towers in the area, each over 190-feet, according to meeting documents. The proposed tower would be in the center of the three nearby towers, with the intent to “offload capacity” from the surrounding structures, he said.
“This site is going to serve the daily communications needs of residents and businesses,” Weingarten said. “In terms of public safety and emergency services, it’ll be there for 911 calls, amber alerts [and] weather alerts.”
One more thing
McKinney City Council members have previously supported building additional cell towers on city-owned land, and approved construction for three new cell towers in southwest McKinney in February.
Final action on the request is expected to be taken on the item by McKinney City Council at an Aug. 5 meeting.
