A public safety tower that Washington County officials say resembles a large pine tree will take root in Afton in November.

Commissioners voted Tuesday to select Sabre Towers and Poles Inc. of Sioux City, Iowa, to build an 88-foot "monopine" stealth tower to complete the last link in the county's 800-megahertz radio system, which is part of a statewide upgrade to help law enforcement officers, firefighters and other emergency responders better communicate in times of crisis.

The tower is the last of 14 infrastructure improvements in Washington County and is essential for reliable law enforcement radio communication in the hills and woods around Afton, the Sheriff's Office has said.

Construction of the tower will begin in November, with tests to begin in January. The system should be operational in February, said Sheriff Bill Hutton, whose department is coordinating the installation.

"We believe it will be a significant improvement to public safety," Hutton said Tuesday.

The tower will be disguised amid natural trees on 1.6 acres the county bought at 15326 Afton Hills Court S., the county has said. Some residents, however, continue to oppose the tower as hurtful to their property values and disruptive to their rural neighborhood.

"It's been a very difficult time to say the least," Frank Sando, who lives next to the tower site, said Tuesday. He and his wife, Susan, say they're concerned that the "stealth" tower won't be hidden as promised and said they have yet to see a model of the tower to determine its appearance.

"It's going to be impossible, I think, for this to be unrecognizable year around," Frank Sando said. "How are they going to hide the microwave at the top?"

But Hutton said Tuesday: "That is not our belief. It will be built into the tree itself."

The tower will cost the county $102,433, but the full cost of the Afton site is substantially more than that and is still being determined, Hutton said. The total cost includes the land purchase and renovations to a garage where equipment will be stored.

The Sandos said that they and other neighbors plan to appeal to the Afton City Council if the tower isn't of sufficient "stealth" design to meet city ordinances. The council last spring granted approval by a 3-2 vote for the ordinance that cleared the way for the controversial tower. Mayor Julia Welter, who voted in favor, isn't running for reelection.

Kevin Giles • 651-298-1554