Commission backs conditional permit for 110‑foot stealth communication tower on city land

The McKinney Planning and Zoning Commission on Feb. 11 voted 7–0 to recommend approval of a specific-use permit for a 110‑foot stealth telecommunications structure on city-owned land that is planned to become a park.

Planner Jake Bennett told the commission the request exceeds the typical permitted height and includes reduced setback distances measured from the lease area; because the lease area is within a larger parent tract intended for a future park, none of the adjacent properties are zoned single‑family residential and the site is several hundred feet from nearby roads. Bennett said the proposal is intended to improve cellular coverage along the State Highway 121 corridor and that staff’s propagation maps show a “drastic increase in service for the area.” He recommended approval.

Ray Roman of AnthemNet, the applicant, said the tower shaft width will be about “4 feet 6 inches,” and that antenna equipment would be fully enclosed within the structure.

Commissioners asked about visual buffering and the height relative to surrounding buildings and apartments; staff said nearby apartment buildings and other structures in Craig Ranch exceed 60 feet in places and that a densely treed creek area provides screening to the east. With no members of the public speaking for or against the item, the commission moved to close the public hearing and approve the SUP recommendation to council.

The motion to close the public hearing and approve the SUP was made by Commissioner Deidre and seconded by Commissioner James. The vote was 7–0. The Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council for a final decision on March 4, 2025.