By Eliza Ridgeway

Los Altos Hills has completed leases with Verizon and Cingular Wireless for cell towers at Westwind Barn and town hall that will bring in $5,000 a month in rent.

The $3,000 monthly lease for the Westwind tower allows Verizon to charge other cell providers to collocate on the tower. Providers that want to collocate on the town hall tower, for which Cingular will pay $2,000 a month, must negotiate with and pay the town.

Interim City Manager and Planning Director Carl Cahill said the town used lease agreements from cell towers on Purissima Hills Water District property to develop a ballpark figure for what the market would bear.

“Our highest goal is to provide wireless coverage to our residents,” he said. “(The rent) doesn’t really affect the bottom line.”

Patrick Walter, general manager of the water district, said that they received approximately $110,000 a year for four cell towers, approximately $2,300 per month per tower.

Cell tower rental agreements vary according to population density and terrain, two factors limiting the profitability of locating in the Hills.

At the meeting, resident Randy Harr spoke about the continuing need for a stronger cellular ordinance in town. The council suggested that he and other concerned residents meet with town staff to discuss the subject, which could then go before the planning commission.