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Council hears Encore plan for Muscovy switch station; residents press for routing and stronger screening
Summary
Taylor leaders and Encore representatives discussed an employment center plan for an Encore switching station near Highway 79. Residents urged the city to insist transmission lines route around the city and called for stronger visual screening; Encore said the switch will tie into existing lines and that PUC route approvals are separate proceedings.
Taylor City Council opened a public hearing Feb. 26 on an employment center plan filed by Encore for a proposed Muscovy switching station near Highway 79 and heard multiple public comments pressing Encore and the city on transmission‑line routing and visual screening.
Merrill Griggs, presenting staff analysis, said the plan covers about 51.19 acres at a city gateway location. Staff and the Planning & Zoning Commission recommended design features including a 6‑foot earthen berm with drought‑resistant native grasses; the applicant agreed to an 80% maximum lot coverage (reduced from 100%) and proposed perimeter security fencing. P&Z recommended the plan with a 7–0–1 vote (one recusal).
Resident Carrie Deanna told council she was impressed with the berm but urged the council to insist Encore show similar mitigation along the routes that would carry transmission lines across multiple districts and asked the council to delay final action until transmission‑line routing is clear.
Asher Miller, a siting specialist with Encore, told council the switching station is intended to connect to existing lines in the area "to better serve the city of Taylor" and that any new transmission‑line routes would require separate CCN and PUC processes that Encore has not yet filed. Miller said Encore is conducting neighborhood meetings as part of its outreach obligations.
Council members repeatedly pressed for assurances that major transmission lines be routed around Taylor, not through residential parcels, and discussed alternatives to the proposed chain‑link perimeter (Encore said it plans a 7‑foot chain‑link fence, possibly with plastic slats, or an 8‑foot masonry wall in other jurisdictions to achieve visual screening).
The city attorney introduced Ordinance 2026‑13 to approve the Encore employment center plan on first reading; council asked staff to return with any required screening or landscaping conditions for final approval.
Key details and outstanding questions
• Proposed screening: 6‑foot berm with native grasses in front; Encore proposes a 7‑foot chain‑link fence with a one‑foot barbed‑wire topper for security and offered alternatives such as plastic slats or an 8‑foot masonry wall for improved aesthetics.
• Transmission lines: Encore said the proposed switching station would connect to existing lines and that any new high‑voltage transmission routing requires separate PUC/CCN review; council and residents want commitments about routing to avoid constraining future development.
• Next steps: Ordinance 2026‑13 was introduced for first reading; staff will return with recommended screening or buffer conditions for final reading.
