By George Slaughter
Katy will soon get another cell phone tower, as the city council Monday approved a special use permit to enable construction of a 150-foot wireless communication facility issue at 5364 Franz Rd.
The tower will be installed on land owned by the Katy Independent School District and is zoned R-1, single-family residential. The site sits between Hutsell Elementary School, 5360 Franz Road, and Katy Junior High School, 5350 Franz Road.
Eco-Site II is the developer and is building the tower on behalf of T-Mobile West.
Council members expressed concerns about the tower’s proposed height and location at their January 13 meeting. They asked Eco-Site II officials to investigate further and verify whether the tower could be shortened and the location could be moved. Company officials agreed to do so and the council voted to extend the public hearing to enable that further investigation.
Proponents proposed a compromise Monday. The tower would be shortened, but the site on which the tower would be built would remain the same.
The 150-foot tower to be built comprises a 140-foot tower proper and a 10-foot antenna, a reduction from the previously planned 180-foot tower, which comprised a 170-foot tower proper and a 10-foot antenna.
“It’s not the best solution, but it will suffice,” Craig Donaldson, T-Mobile radio frequency manager, said.
While other nearby locations were considered for the tower, Francis said they would open gaps in coverage, particularly if the tower were moved to the west. One possible location required tree removal, something council members appeared unwilling to support.
Bebb Francis, an attorney presenting the issue to the council, said a council rejection would mean a minimum two-year delay.
“That means we’d start from scratch,” Francis said.
Proponents said the tower, while designed to serve T-Mobile customers, can accommodate up to three other lessees.
The city planning and zoning commission voted 6-3 in December to approve the application and forward the matter to the council for its consideration. Critics expressed concerns about the tower’s location, security, and possible revenue sharing between the company and the school district.
City to Paint Third Water Tank
The council Tuesday hired Rolf Goetzinger, LLC, to paint a mural on the 500,000-gallon elevated storage tank at Water Plant #7, 6801 Franz Rd.
City marketing director Kayce Reina said nobody locally had done this type of work, while Goetzinger and his team, based in Spokane, Washington, specialize in it.
Reina said Goetzinger and his crew have painted the two other water tanks with a flying geese motif. A similar motif is expected for this new tank, and the paint crew has begun preparing the tank for the paint job. She said the time needed to actually paint the tank would be 1 ½ weeks.
“This is the perfect time,” she said, adding that it’s better for the paint job to be completed during the cooler months of the year.
The council authorized the use of $60,250 and water and sewer reserve funds for this purpose. It authorized the use of up to $1,246,391 in 2016 Series Bonds and water and sewer reserve funds to fund the tank.
The other two tanks are on I-10 at Katy Fort Bend Road, and on Franz Road between the municipal courts building and the Katy police station.
Other Actions Taken
In other action Monday, the council:
- Received the updated state mandated Tier 1 Racial Profiling Data Report for 2019 by the Katy Police Department.
- Reviewed the bank statement and check register through January 31.
- Approved minutes for the January 13 and January 27 council meetings.
- Approved streetlight layouts for Kingsland Boulevard and Young Ranch.
- Approved a two-acre final plat for West 10 Business Park Commercial Reserve, in Waller County.
- Approved an 86-acre final plat for the Katy Prairie Business Park Replat, in Waller County.
- Declared certain property as a surplus and authorized its sale or disposal. Property includes an old fire engine, eight vehicles, and six mowers.
- Awarded a $54,000 bid for blower replacement at wastewater plant to Neil Technical Services, of Houston. Total project cost is $63,450, and authorized use of water and sewer reserve funds.
- Authorized Mayor Bill Hastings to sign a master service agreement with Storm Water Solutions, LLC, for stormwater management services.