A 24-foot tall cellphone tower in a northeast neighborhood outside Seaside will double in height in an effort to provide improved service and emergency dispatch response.

The city approved an amended lease agreement with T-Mobile at a City Council meeting Oct. 14, allowing the telecommunications company to replace the current structure, located next to the city’s Royal View water tank, with a 50-foot pole.

The agreement was initially approved as a conditional use permit by Clatsop County earlier this year, as the property is located in the unincorporated portion of the county.

The amendment will also permit subleasing to other service providers and reserve space on the tower for the city’s emergency dispatch equipment.

Seaside will receive $1,606 a month in rent from T-Mobile, a $207 increase from the previous lease agreement.

“The lease is minimal,” City Councilor David Posalski said. “It doesn’t pay us anything, but the cost of us having to either improve our radio system or put up some other tower so that we can get the coverage that we need for EMS and fire and police would be a significant expense.”

Several homeowners near the cellphone tower expressed concerns over a potential decrease in property value and quality of life from the larger structure.

“Every time we drive home, we’re going to see this thing up in the air,” said Jen Palmer, a resident. “And it’s going to be a constant reminder of associated health risks, potentially, and also decline in property values.

“So I ask before you vote, if you could ask yourself, what would you do if you lived in that neighborhood? Would you want possible health concerns? Would you want decreased property values? Would you want it in your backyard, literally?”

The City Council voted 5-1 to approve the new lease. City Councilor Seth Morrisey voted “no,” stating that he shared many of those same concerns as neighbors.

“From my calculations, the closest house to this tower is 55 yards,” he said. “So, you know, 55 yards from the tower directly to their house, and then you talk about quality of life — it’s literally going to be in their backyard.”