Iowa State officials have agreed to lease land to U.S. Cellular to erect a 185-foot tower on campus.

The Chicago-based company will pay $4,000 a year to lease a 140-foot by 140-foot piece of land on the eastern fringe of campus. The company wants to build the new tower to provide better service to Ames hand-held phone users.

The lease must be approved by the state Board of Regents and the Ames Zoning Adjustment Board.

Warren Madden, vice president for business and finance, said the price is “a reasonable rental rate.” He also said the lease will not infringe on any of the university’s land-use needs.

“The area is on the edge of a flood plane,” Madden said. “I don’t anticipate using the area.”

Madden said the university has the right to put its own antennae on the tower for the university radio system to use.

“The university has no immediate plans, but we may need another antennae in the future,” Madden said.

The location of the tower has been an issue in Ames for several months. U.S. Cellular planned to build the tower in downtown Ames this fall. But after the Zoning Adjustment Board approved the plan, some local business owners sued the city.

Madden said when U.S. Cellular approached the university about leasing the land, he saw it as an opportunity for the university to be a good citizen.

Don Huess, president of the Ames Chamber of Commerce and owner of Huess Printing, said the new sight makes more sense because it will be safer, have less of an impact on the area around it, and the height will be less noticeable.

Huess said he was pleased with the way ISU and Ames officials worked together on this issue.

“I think Steve Schainker [Ames City Manager] and the people at ISU worked very well at solving a situation that was not in the best interest of Ames community in a site that fits better in the Ames community.”