Google Fiber hut to be removed from Haskin Park

SAN ANTONIO – Following Mayor Ivy Taylor's recent visit with Google policy leaders in Washington, D.C., the Google Fiber hut in Haskin Park will soon be removed.

This comes after frequent meetings with local Google Fiber leadership and a request to City Manager Sheryl Sculley to work with Google to minimize the huts' impact in neighborhoods.

“We’ve enjoyed a strong relationship with Google Fiber and appreciate their willingness to continue to work with us to create a fiber network that fits our community,” Taylor said.

"I'm delighted. I'm so grateful that the city is doing the right thing, because this should never have been put here. There's rules about park use. And great cities have great parks, but they also follow the rules," said Cynthia Franklin, who lives near the park.

The Alamo City is one of the few cities around the country selected for Google Fiber. The huts are used to store important infrastructure. 

"We absolutely wanted Google Fiber. I was excited to have some competition. This has never been about wanting Google in town. It's always been about the rule of law and the city just following the rules like they make the rest of us adhere to," resident John Whitsett said.

Councilman Mike Gallagher said the neighborhood is expected to benefit from Google Fiber's microtrenching pilot.

“Technology is ever-changing, and we are proud to help keep San Antonio at the forefront of fiber deployment,” Gallagher, a District 10 councilman, said. “The goal has always been to work toward a solution that not only benefits our community around Haskin Park, but also the 40,000 residents served by the fiber backbone. I am pleased to see that our collective efforts made that goal a reality.”

Taylor said she is looking forward to working with the team to help implement new ways to build that are faster, more efficient and less disruptive.

The city has not given an official date for when the hut will be removed.

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About the Authors:

Reporter, proud Houstonian, U of H alumni, and lover of all the hometown sport teams.

Dawn Jorgenson, Graham Media Group Branded Content Managing Editor, began working with the group in April 2013. She graduated from Texas State University with a degree in electronic media.