Residents of the area around Bayland Park at Hillcroft and Bissonnet have been protesting the proposed construction of a cell tower at a business on Hillcroft just outside the park. The proposal had stalled while Mayor White appointed new members to the city's tower commission.

I have learned that the new members have been appointed and will meet this Monday, September 27th, at 4:00 pm at the Houston City Hall Annex (900 Bagby). The proposed tower will be on the agenda.

At this point, my understanding is that Sprint will propose to erect a structure that looks like a flagpole, rather than a traditional tower. That proposal was presented to area residents several months ago. An expected meeting of the tower commission to review that proposal never took place, because there were not enough active members pressent to constitute a quorum of the commission.

As a state official, I have no real jurisdiction in this matter, as cell towers are regulated by the city. The city, in turn, is limited in what it can regulate because of federal laws that are designed to encourage completion of the national cellphone network.

However, I am trying to help the residents where I can, and arranged for the residents to speak directly with Sprint officials rather than the subcontractor who originally presented the proposal. (I understand that the subcontractor will no longer be making public presentations on Sprint's behalf.)

As always, please let me know if I can answer any questions about this or other local issues.

Scott Hochberg
State Representative
District 137 - Southwest Houston