SPANISH FORT, Ala. — Months of competition ended Tuesday night when the City Council granted cell tower developer Lester Boihem rezoning approval for the site of the former WLVV radio station at 1263 Battleship Parkway.

Boihem, owner of Two-Way Communications Co., wants to construct a 150-foot cell tower on the site that already includes a building and two AM antennas.

Tuesday’s rezoning of the property from residential to a telecommunications district is only the first step, however, in Boihem’s plan to construct a tower with the capacity to handle five carriers with as many as 12 antennas each. While the action allows Boihem to proceed seeking approval for his development plan of the site purchased recently by the nonprofit Archangel Radio, it also ensures that only one cell tower will be constructed within the city limits.

Tuesday’s decision concluded a head-to-head competition between Boihem’s Two-Way Communications and Greg Boyd’s Intellicom Wireless Management Inc. Boyd’s proposal for a 180-foot tower requested the same rezoning classification on the site of the former Ramada Inn behind R&R Seafood. Some 800 feet separate the proposed sites.

Both Boheim and Jacob Cunningham, one of the property owners for the alternative location, attended the council’s work session prior to Tuesday’s meeting to address any last-minute questions or concerns regarding the proposals.

Cunningham, who said he is aware aesthetics play a substantial role in the council’s development decisions, provided an array of photos illustrating the site is not only farther off the Causeway than Boihem’s site but also boasts more natural vegetation that would obscure the structure to motorists traveling east and west on the highway.

Cunningham also noted the Ramada Inn site proposes construction of a 180-foot tower rather than a 150-foot tower, affording room to add additional carriers down the road without needing to construct a new tower.

Boihem argued, however, that the 150-foot tower is more than adequate in height to handle as many as five carriers, and he has commitments from three to date.

AT&T has already requested to locate at 120 feet; Verizon Wireless has selected 140 feet; and Cellular South has no interest in exceeding 90 feet. If T-Mobile joins the mix, Boihem said the carrier has already expressed interest in the 150-foot mark.

During the public hearing portion of Tuesday’s meeting concerning the items, Building Official Bruce Renkert read aloud an e-mail from Causeway property owner Jay Pirincci of Florida, who opposes “vehemently” the proposed use of the Ramada Inn property. Pirincci contends conversion of the site into a telecommunications district conflicts directly with any future development of the area in a way that could boost its hospitality appeal and, thereby, would impact property values negatively.

In other business, the council:

The next regular meeting of the council will begin with a 5 p.m. work session in the conference room at City Hall on Sept. 21, followed immediately by the regular meeting at 6 p.m. at the Gathering Place in the Prodisee Center.