PENDLETON – Verizon Wireless hopes to put up a new cell phone tower near Milton-Freewater as part of its plans to expand service in northeast Oregon.

Umatilla County Planning Commissioners on Thursday approved the tower site about two and a half miles north of Milton-Freewater.

The site, about 30 acres owned by Terry Walker, is currently used to farm a rotation of alfalfa and wheat. It would be leased for the tower.

Cameron McFaddan, site acquisition specialist with AFL Telecommunications out of Boise, which is developing Verizon Wireless in the area, said the high, flat property fits the company’s needs the best, although it is zoned exclusive farm use. “It is on a relatively high point so we don’t have to build as high a structure,” he said.

The company looked at commercial property along nearby Highway 11, but the lots are all on a slope, he said.

Other locations, such as the Wilcox Plaza, would have meant placing the tower in the middle of a parking lot, in addition to being on a slope, McFaddan.

Walker said the land proposed for the tower is a difficult place to get his farm equipment to for crops.

If the deal goes through, Walker said he plans to use the revenue from the 25-year lease to help convert the rest of his land into growing either an orchard or wine grapes. “This is going to support that type of operation,” he said.

The proposed tower would be a 150-foot tall mono-tower with up to four transmitters on it; a 12 x 26 foot prefabricated structure would house the electronics. The area, 60 x 60 feet, will be surrounded by 6-foot high chain link fence.

The only opposition Thursday came from Dave Miller, who farmed nearby and was speaking on behalf of John Miller who lived nearby. He questioned why the tower has to go on farmland when there is commercial property nearby. The planning commission approved the request with little discussion.

McFaddan said the Milton-Freewater tower was one of three sites with applications pending. Most of the other sites are in the west end of Umatilla County.

Construction on the Milton-Freewater area tower is expected to begin shortly after August, he said. The tower should be online by the first quarter of 2005.

While Verizon Wireless does not have any applications pending in Morrow County, it will soon, he said.

Verizon Wireless is expanding throughout northeast Oregon, McFaddan said.

“It is where most of the work is now.”

His company, on behalf of Verizon Wireless, also is working on sites in La Grande and Union, and just had a tower permitted in Island City.