PLEASANT HILL -- A two-year campaign to build a 35-foot cell phone tower on a hilltop next to Paso Nogal Park drags on after the City Council on Monday asked AT&T to consider two less visible sites.

The council asked an independent consultant to work with the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District to identify a potential location on the ridgeline in park that would address the coverage gap.

Council members want to see further detailed analysis of the hilltop location, a park site and a location at the end of Ellington Terrace, across Paso Nogal Road from the original location. They also want to know if a combination of shorter cell towers at more than one location will remedy the coverage gap.

AT&T applied in 2010 for a use permit to install a wireless antenna disguised as a pine tree on 1.25 acres the Contra Costa Water District owns. The water district operates a storage and pump facility on the property. The project includes 12 panel antennas attached to the tower and six equipment cabinets inside a fenced enclosure. Representatives for AT&T say customers are asking for more reliable service and faster speeds, and that the company needs additional infrastructure to satisfy the growing demand for wireless devices.

Last year, the New Falconpointe Homeowners' Association, a group of 52 property owners, appealed the Planning Commission's approval of a conditional user permit. The group believes the cell tower

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will ruin the view of the hilltop. Recreation district board members also oppose the proposed location because the tower would be visible to park visitors and people using an adjacent walking trail.

Lisa P. White covers Martinez and Pleasant Hill. Contact her at 925-943-8011. Follow her at Twitter.com/lisa_p_white.