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Commissioners approve Verizon floodplain permit pending indemnity agreement after neighbor objects
Summary
Rockwall County accepted a flood study and approved issuance of a floodplain development permit for a previously approved Verizon cell tower site in a FEMA special flood hazard area, conditioning the permit on receipt of a basic indemnity agreement acceptable to county legal counsel; at least one neighbor objected on the record.
Rockwall County commissioners on Feb. 24 accepted a flood study for a proposed Verizon cell-tower site and approved issuance of a floodplain development permit that had been conditioned on a required indemnity agreement.
Commissioner Lichty and County Engineer Erica Bridges told the court the site (a roughly 50-by-50-foot leased area at 1162 High Point Road) falls partially in a floodplain but the developer provided a flood study that, in the county engineer's review, shows the tower would not adversely impact the surrounding area. Bridges recommended approval of the floodplain development permit along with a requirement that Verizon provide a basic indemnity agreement acceptable to the county's legal counsel.
Lichty reminded the court the project was originally approved in January 2024 subject to a floodplain permit and indemnity; he said the county has not received an acceptable indemnity form back from Verizon and that at least one neighbor has filed an objection. The motion to approve the flood study and issue a floodplain development permit "subject to and conditioned upon receipt of a basic indemnity agreement which is satisfactory to our legal counsel" passed 5-0.
Why it matters: the approval moves a previously permitted communications facility toward local permitting while preserving legal protections for the county through an indemnity condition. Neighbors' objections were noted on the record; if Verizon does not provide an indemnity acceptable to county counsel, the permit will not be issued and the project would need to return to court for reconsideration.
