The tree, a disguise for a set of wireless communication antennas, was unanimously approved by the Campbell Planning Commission on June 8. Once the tree is in place, Cingular Wireless and Sprint PCS coverage should improve. Both carriers have received complaints from customers about dropped calls and poor reception in the area.

The 65-foot-tall tree, which is actually a monopole constructed to look like a redwood tree, will be located in John D. Morgan Park and surrounded by live trees ranging in height from 50 to 59 feet tall. Sprint and Cingular are each planning to attach six antennas to the tree pole. Additional communications equipment located at the base of the fake tree will be surrounded by a wooden fence.

City planners concerned about individuals in the park tampering with the equipment are requiring the phone companies to landscape the fencing with thorny or other undesirable plants to deter problems or potential vandalism.

The planning commissioners also want reassurances from the carriers that the aesthetics of the tree would make it look more realistic than the wireless communications tree that is visible from San Tomas Expressway near Gold's Gym.

"I want to know if the design we have will be better than the one at Gold's," Campbell Planning Commissioner Tom Francois said.

Cingular representative Zachary Carter assured the commissioners that this tree was a much more sophisticated version than the tree near the expressway.

Campbell Planning Commissioner Liz Gibbons acknowledged this, saying, "The Gold's Gym tree was a first-generation alpha tree. This is a fifth- or sixth-generation tree."

She also said she was confident this tree would be aesthetically pleasing because of the work Cingular had already done with the arborist in Palo Alto. Two similar trees have been installed in that community.

City planner Stephanie Willsey told the commissioners that the Cingular tree developed with input from the Palo Alto arborist "looks very good."

Because the tree is synthetic, the commissioners also wanted to make sure it was properly maintained as it aged from the natural elements.

Carter said that the Palo Alto arborist had specific requirements about maintenance, which the carrier planned to apply to this tree.

"We are well aware that if the tree starts to look shabby, we need to replace the parts," he said.

Commissioner George Doorley also mentioned the importance of color tones and the tree blending in with the living trees in the park. Carter said the phone carrier uses trees purchased from a business in Las Vegas--TreeScapes--that specializes in fake trees for the hotels and would work on matching the colors.

The faux tree will be located on the W. Rincon Avenue side of the John D. Morgan 29.8-acre community park.