UNITY -- Michael Willette's financial future could rest in the hands of the town's planning board.

Willette, who owns Stargate Cell Tower in Winslow, built a cell tower on U.S. Route 202 a couple of years ago on speculation, counting on a town ordinance he believed would force cell-service providers to rent space from him when they moved into the area.

Now, Willette is afraid of losing his monopoly on coverage in the area if the planning board approves U.S. Cellular's plan to build its own tower just a few miles away.

"If they get to build this tower, it's pretty much going to kill me," Willette said. "I'm barely surviving right now."

The planning board is scheduled to hold a workshop on the application at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the community center. The board is expected to schedule a public hearing on the application during Tuesday's meeting.

U.S. Cellular first submitted an application last year for its own 190- foot cell tower on property owned by Michael and Donna Mesaric, off Leelynn Drive. The site, just a short distance off Route 220, would give the company coverage in much of Unity and into Thorndike, based on documents filed with the town.

Calls to Black Diamond Consultants in Gardiner, which represents U.S. Cellular on the project, were not returned Friday, but in their application Black Diamond argues Willette's tower would not cover as much of Route 220.

The U.S. Cellular tower also would have space to rent to five additional carriers.

"The site covers 100 percent of Unity, but does not cover many of the residents to the southeast," they wrote. "In addition, the site does not meet (U.S. Cellular's) coverage objectives for (routes 9/202 and 220) to the south."

Unity's telecommunication ordinance requires companies to make an effort to use existing towers, but there is room for interpretation, said planning board Chairman John Piotti.

"It requires they look at co-location, but it doesn't require that they do it if they can make a case it doesn't work for their business," he said.

Willette, who owns towers in Albion, China and Winslow in addition to the one in Unity, said U.S. Cellular never requested information about renting space on his Unity tower.

"They approached me two days before the (March planning board) meeting and told me mine won't work and they just wanted to let me know," Willette said.

He acknowledges his site does not cover Thorndike as well as the U.S. Cellular tower does, but he says that should not matter to Unity planning board members.

"My site covers the town as good and in some cases better," Willette said. "All we're concerned about is the town of Unity. You want to come to Unity, rent from me. You want to go to Thorndike, you can put the tower wherever you want."

If U.S. Cellular is allowed to erect the new tower, Willette predicted other companies would follow suit.

"That co-location rule will mean nothing," he said. "It's a waste of a tower. They could go to a spot that really needs the coverage instead of a hot spot."

Craig Crosby--487- 3288

ccrosby@centralmaine.com