10-Story Cell Tower Wants To Spike Up Along Fifth Ward Railroad Tracks

10-STORY CELL TOWER WANTS TO SPIKE UP ALONG FIFTH WARD RAILROAD TRACKS A new cell tower is proposed behind a warehouse on Schweikhardt St., just north of where the road ends at Clinton Dr. Vertical Bridge Development, an entity that manages towers for telecom companies, filed an application with the city’s Tower Commission for permission to build the 100-ft. tall structure just north of the train tracks that cross Schweikhardt late last year. The tracks are more or less the dividing line between the industrial zone that spreads out along Buffalo Bayou between Hirsch Rd. and Route 90, and the residential portion of the Fifth Ward that extends south of I-10. City rules require a waiver for towers to be built in residential neighborhoods, and in order to get one, the owner of the 1.5-acre lot where the tower is proposed argues that the parcel is deep enough for the antenna to hang back far from the road. Still, however, the nearest residential property would be just over 200 ft. away from the new sky wire. [Houston Tower Commission Agenda] Photo of signage at proposed tower site: Swamplot inbox

8 Comment

  • I wouldn’t buy a house near one of these. Its going to affect the value of the neighbors land.

  • @ Dwight: Why not? If you’re right, you could get a real deal on the house.

  • A – Isnt there a 250ft one in the east end
    .
    B – How would you go about stopping this?

  • Please build one next to my house. Our cell coverage is horrible. Waze can’t calculate directions until we leave our neighborhood, which is too late to tell me which way to leave our neighborhood. #notafraidofnonionizingradiation

  • I bought three houses and two lots in the last 3 years. Just my preference but I didn’t want to be too close to large electric lines, cell towers, water treatment plants or railroads. I do live three blocks from a train track, but not right next to it. A lot of people have a fear that those cell towers and electric lines are dangerous to your health and some even have buzzing sounds and smells. If you can get a discount and want to live in a house with any of these issues that’s fine just know it may be harder to sell or rent. I bought my house in the hood to get a good deal lol.

  • @Mr.Clean19:
    Are you talking about the red and white tower northeast of Engelke? If so, I believe that’s a radio tower for some Houston radio station, not a cell tower.
    .
    Although frankly, I don’t know if that’s better or worse.

  • I totally understand not wanting to be near water treatment plants (smelly), railroad tracks (loud), a power substation (explosive) or distribution lines (buzzing), a parking garage (traffic/lights), or something like that. Some folks might be averse to any occupied building that’s tall enough that a lot of people will be able to peer down on to their lawn. But something like a cell tower or a water tower… These things are very innocuous infrastructure. I might even want to be around them in order to not be around people who so picky that they wouldn’t want to live around them. I guess that you could call me a NIMBYNIMBY.

  • Does anyone know if this was ever approved or not?