The County Commission voted Wednesday 8-1 to deny a special permit for a 150-foot cell tower near the Hurricane Creek subdivision.
Only Commissioner Jim Fields was in favor of approval.
Attorney Mike St. Charles said Vogue Towers had proven the need for the tower and that this was the only suitable location.
The tower is for Verizon, but other carriers would be solicited to use it, it was stated.
Commissioner Sabrena Smedley said cell towers can bring as much as a 20 percent devaluation to nearby properties.
She said the commission had not previously approved a cell tower that was this close to residences.
The address is 9031 Jennifer Dr., but the access road to the steep site is off Fuller Road.
Officials said the tower would be further away from a recently built house on a nearby cul-de-sac than originally planned. It would be 190 feet away rather than 156 feet. Also, the tower would be designed with a 75-foot break point, it was stated.