Some residents of a neighborhood near Johnson Siding don't want Verizon Wireless to put up a cell tower in their area.

They spoke up against the idea during an informational Pine Cliff board of directors meeting Tuesday night, citing health, aesthetic and cell-phone service concerns.

If approved, the tower would be erected in Pine Cliff off Timber Lane Drive in a designated "green space," which is an area owned and shared by Pine Cliff residents.

Verizon would pay residents $700 a month for letting the company use the land for the 150-foot tower and accompanying building.

The tower would be unsightly and wouldn't directly benefit area residents, resident John Mehaffey said in an interview Wednesday.

"My opposition is the property value lost, and I probably wouldn't even get cell service, anyway," Mehaffey said. "And of course, there are health concerns that may or may not have been proven."

Mehaffey said residents right near the tower wouldn't be able to get service because the signal would curve out from the tower instead of going straight down.

Verizon spokeswoman Karen Smith said all residents near the tower would indeed get service from it.

She said the company builds its towers in compliance with Federal Communications Commission standards, which should take care of concerns about radiation.

Pine Cliff resident Sandy Warinner contends the tower would violate Pine Cliff homeowner association rules.

She said Pine Cliff, which is regulated by four covenants, is prohibited from leasing the green spaces. Those spaces are meant for recreational and other uses as directed by the articles, she said.

"I'm dead set against it, and the reason that I am is because I came out here to live out in the country. … I don't want a cell-phone tower in my backyard," she said.

Pine Cliff board of directors president Vicki Franzen said she is not sure whether the Verizon proposal would violate the covenant, but that the board would look into the matter before the next meeting.

The meeting Tuesday was for the board to listen to inquiries from residents, Franzen said, which the board will then relay to Verizon.

The board will have another meeting Feb. 11, in a vote may take place, depending on whether residents feel they have enough information to make a decision, she said.

Franzen said Verizon came to the board's treasurer about a month and a half ago with the proposal.

If the matter goes to a vote, 34 residents in the affected area would be eligible to vote, with a majority needed to approve the tower. Johnson Siding is an unincorporated community about 10 miles west of Rapid City.

Franzen said there could have been some misinformation put forth at the meeting, because it was the first that many residents had heard of the tower.

Smith said the Pine Cliff location was chosen because it fit well into the company's network and necessary coverage area. The company would make the tower aesthetically pleasing, she said.

Verizon is looking forward to working with the residents on bringing in the tower, she said.

"Hopefully, they move forward through these negotiations," she said.

Contact Ryan Woodard at 394-8412 or ryan.woodard@rapidcityjournal.com