I posted this question on the BWH forum and got some very helpful and informative replies, so want to post it here as well for your response.

I have quite a bit of land, isolated from othe rproperties with some high points but zilch $$$ to build my home and move there. Recently it was suggested to me that I contact a cell tower company about having a tower on my land. I talked with two representatives at a Home Show and they expressed interest. One of the companies recently applied for a permit to put a tower on a nearby parcel and has had a lot of troubles with neighbors protesting in public hearings.

Have any of you installed cell towers on your land? What are the pros and cons?

I was told I could get a fee of $5,000 a month, plus free cell service for life by one person. Others have said the cell towers give off very dangerous EMF emissions and that migrating birds crash into them and are killed.

As an aging person past the breeding stage I am not so threatened by the EMF's since I'd rather live on my land which is a very tangible benefit as compared to an intangible unknown threat, and the income would enable me to live on my land. However, it does not seem likely that's an accurate income estimate.

I hope there will be input to this question as the answers might benefit homesteaders and possible homesteaders all over the country who are looking for the key to financing their land and/or a home in which to live on their land.

Thanks in advance for any helpful information you can supply!

-- Elizabeth Petofi (tengri@cstone.net), April 04, 2000

Answers

Elizabeth, I just read an article about some farmers here in Illinois that made deals with cellular companies. If I remember right the deal was for ten years, the companypaid one farmer about $2800 and the other one about $3200 per year for only two acres of ground plus the farmer still could put in crops around the tower and use the access road built by the cellular company to haul out his crops.These figures dont seem to be what you were told but $1400-$1600 per acre is awful good rent around here!

-- mike (mstydale@aeroinc.net), April 04, 2000.

I drive by a place on about 5 acres that had a cell tower built on the back of their land. I see that they had a new foundation put under the old farmhouse, re-sided and put in new windows, etc. I figured they got a decent amount for allowing the tower to be built there. Seems like it might be a good solution for you. Maybe try to locate it where you don't have to look at it every day. It's good you are doing your homework to avoid being taken advantage of. They are popping up all over the farmland around here.

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), April 04, 2000.

Well, Elizabeth, we are going through the throes of a cell tower here in "semi-rural" Maine as well. A local farmer, who I know fairly well, has been offered a tidy sum for a part of his land. Farming always needs a unique shot in the arm! (I'm reminded of the farmer who won the lottery. When he was asked his plans, he replied "Well, I guess I'll just keep farmin' 'til the money runs out!") But I digress. In this case, the cell phone company wants only a 100' x 100' parcel to fence. All utilities will be underground, and approach (driveway) will be topped with topsoil to allow for a hay crop, as is the surrounding land. RUMORED income would be $800/month with a 25 year contract. As a Libertarian, I feel a man (Ok, I'll be politically correct - or a woman!) should be able to do with his land whatever he pleases, as long as it is not clearly derrogatory (sp?) to his neighbors. I do not consider "visual pollution" to be derrogatory. Most of those objecting in our case desdcribe their fondness for the "rural character" and the disruption of their "view". Fine - if you liked the view so damned much, why didn't YOU buy that farm and view so YOU could be sure it was preserved? Good Lord, I've been preaching again! And probably to the choir! Sorry - I'll have to try harder to contain myself. I beg your indulgence. Bottom line? Elizabeth - I think you may have quite optimistic figures. And this is one of the very few times I would hire a lawyer before signing anything. (Sorry lawyers, but I wonder if a thread for lawyer jokes wouldn't be fun!? I have several!) In any case, go for it! Make money from the people with surgically implanted phones! But be careful! Good luck.

-- Brad (homefixer@mix-net.net), April 05, 2000.

Elizabeth, the offer sounds awesome, but I, like Mr. Brad, would suggest the expertise of a good lawyer (now, now, I can hear the groans out there now - "good" "lawyer" (?!?) - in the same sentence???). A friend of my parents were offered a similar deal - they questioned the company as to what happens 5 - 10 years down the road when the next big update in the technology occurs and these towers are then rendered obsolete...who is going to pay to take them down and return the land back to its previous pristine state? They did not take the company up on the offer because the answers were not what they wanted to hear( this family were already in that upper 5% income, so it was just chump change to them, no bigum deal). Look carefully - this gift horse could have nubs for teeth and a lame leg. Good luck! Judi

-- Judi (ddecaro@snet.net), April 05, 2000.

Just wanted to add something..did I read here that people are interested in the Cellnet towers? I don't know a whole lot about it personally but I do know that here in the UK there's been an awful hoo haa about them. Seems there are increased risks of -children in particular - contracting cancer, who live under these things. Sorry I can't offer any more information but I'm sure there are others out there that know a whole lot more about this than me..but it would make me think twice before signing up. Sarah.

-- sarah Matthess (william@matthess.freeserve.co.uk), April 06, 2000.

If you can get $5000 a month from a cell site, get it as fast as you can. Unless your extreamly high in a very special place most cell companys dont pay $5000 a year for a cell site location.

-- Gary (gws@redbird.net), April 09, 2000.

$5000 a month? around here (SE Ohio) the cellphone companies are paying only up to $150 per month. ($150 is the highest I have heard of)

Be very, very careful with them. What happens if they are sold? What about you selling the farm? If the tower should fall who is liable? etc, etc etc...

-- Rich (pntbeldyk@wirefire.com), April 09, 2000.

Check out this news story about a cell tower (it also answers the monthly $ possibility): www.koin.com/news/stories/news-20000531-172905.html

-- Michelle (thepieplace@techline.com), June 01, 2000.

EMF is Electro motive force-just another name for "voltage". This would not be a threat in a cell tower. What would be present and possibly a treat it RF which is "radio frequency". It is dangerous under certain circumstances----high power rf and close proximity to the transmitting antennae. If I was offered a deal on a cell tower I'd lett'm do it---provided I could use the tower for my ham radio antennas in addition to big bucks. Money is very welcomed here in Illinois. We still have a crooked governor that keeps raising taxes.

-- hoot gibson (hoot@otbnet.com), June 01, 2000.

Dear Elizabeth, Here in Foster Rhode Island ,the northwest corner of R.I.-a rural area-cell towers are big money and I quote the Providence journal April25, 2001-A tower being installed at the Burrilville police station will earn the town 18,000$ a year.In Scituate the town gets 1500$ a month for towers privately owned but on town property.Johnston takes in 40,000$ a year. the Burrilville tower has a built in increase of 5% a year. As a large land owner I too watch these developments with an open eye, my concern is that these money makers will all be controlled by the local governments and the money will disappear,or the only people "lucky" to get one will all be relatives of elected officials.my feeelings are this,if the money can help people keep land intact thats the price we pay.If a company offered me one I would jump at it.It's expensive enough to maintain any privatly owned chunks of land and this is a way to do it. I wish you luck and advise an attorney.

-- linda ann carlson (lindaannc@earthlink.net), April 26, 2001.

I would worry about potential health risks. Don't they give off electromagnetic fields? Also, there is the issue of aesthetics which are important to me,although may not be important to others.

-- amy (acook@in4web.com), April 26, 2001.