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BASTROP — A proposed zoning change could clear the way for a new AT&T cell tower aimed at improving service in Bastrop’s downtown area.
City Council approved Aug. 5 the first reading of an ordinance allowing wireless transmission facilities in areas zoned as employment centers. Current zoning permits antennas only in planned development, nature and rural districts — towers will remain prohibited in zones designated as neighborhood, mixed use or downtown core.
“There is an issue with proper cell communication, mobile communications, not just for day-to-day but for emergency situations,” Development Services Director James Cowey said.
The ordinance was also amended to limit noise from equipment at a tower’s base to no more than 75 decibels at the property line, and to prohibit towers in city parks, even if the park is in an employment center zone, according to city officials. Cowey said the zoning change was prompted by a developer’s request to build a tower along Lovers Lane. The Bastrop Planning and Zoning Commission first approved the change in July, and the council is set to vote on final approval after press time Aug. 12.
Vincent Hubinger, representing the landowner, tower owner and AT&T, told the council the city’s problem is not coverage gaps but limited capacity.
“The data volume now is three times as much as it was two years ago,” he said.
According to Hubinger, the tower would improve download speeds, app performance and indoor coverage in the city center, especially during peak drive times and special events. While designed for AT&T, the tower could be leased to other carriers, he said.
Councilman Perry Lowe spoke out during the meeting, stating that some residents have raised health concerns about radio frequency emissions from towers. Hubinger assured that emissions are regulated by the federal government and that he doesn’t know of any substantial scientific study that has shown evidence of health issues — comparing exposure levels to those from AM radio stations.
“It’s the same radio waves. They are non-ionizing. They are not radiation,” Hubinger said. “Standing below that tower you’re getting practically nothing.”
If approved, the developer plans to submit a tower proposal immediately. Property owners within 1,000 feet of the site would be notified, according to city staff.
