A 155-foot Verizon cell tower could rise on railroad land south of Canyon Falls Drive in Flower Mound. The Town Council holds a public hearing on the rezoning request Monday, Nov. 2.
SBA Communications Corporation, a major tower company, filed the proposal through representative Kermit Farrow of Delta Oaks Group, PLLC. The case, ZPD26-0008, would rezone a slice of Union Pacific land near 6101 Highway 377 from Agricultural to a new Planned Development District No. 213, according to the Flower Mound Bee, which reported the details.
The Flower Mound Planning & Zoning Commission voted 6-0 on Oct. 12 to recommend approval. No residents spoke for or against the project at that meeting.
The structure is a monopole with no guy wires: a 150-foot pole topped by a 5-foot lightning rod. Its footprint sits on a 2,490-square-foot parcel within a 0.29-acre lease area. The compound would include a gravel pad, a gravel access drive and an 8-foot decorative wall with a double swing gate. According to the staff report, the wall would match existing walls in the Canyon Falls area.
The facility would be unmanned, visited only for periodic maintenance. SBA Communications asked the town to pick the tower's color to blend with the surroundings.
Setback waivers draw attention
The waivers SBA Communications is requesting matter most for nearby homeowners. Flower Mound code requires communication towers to sit back a distance equal to 20 percent of the tower's height from every property line, 50 feet from any street right-of-way and 50 feet from any residential district boundary.
SBA Communications wants those reduced. The staff report lists the requested setback at 4 feet from the nearest property line. The applicant's own letter of intent states the request as a 0-foot setback. Both documents are part of the official case file.
The applicant also wants landscaping requirements waived entirely, arguing that irrigation and upkeep inside railroad right-of-way would be impractical. Tree survey and preservation rules would be modified or excepted.
Requirements that would remain unchanged include the 8-foot masonry fence, high-voltage signage, aircraft hazard rules, shared-use provisions, the obligation to remove obsolete towers within 12 months and FCC radiation standards.
Why this location
Verizon coverage maps included in the application show the tower would improve indoor and outdoor service, add capacity for 911 and emergency calls, reduce load on neighboring towers and shift more traffic to 5G from 4G. The coverage area includes North Lake, Corral City, Argyle and surrounding residential and commercial zones.
The case file states the Planned Development route is required because the applicant is bundling code waivers that cannot fit into a standard Specific Use Permit (SUP).
What's next
The town mailed notices to four property owners within 200 feet of the site. As of the staff report, none had responded.
Commissioner Todd Bayuk moved to recommend approval at the Oct. 12 Planning & Zoning meeting. Vice Chair Jason Hobbs seconded. Commissioners Geddie, Langley, Fitzpatrick and Furnas also voted yes.
The public hearing is set for 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, at Town Hall, 2121 Cross Timbers Road. Residents who want to weigh in can attend and speak at that meeting.
