BRISTOL — Roger Williams University’s proposal to erect a water tower on campus as part of an ongoing building plan cleared an important hurdle last night when the Planning Board voted to approve it.

The five-member board voted unanimously in favor of the tower despite the objections of nearby residents who complained about the effect of the 140-foot-high structure on their views.

Board chairman Jerome Squatrito remarked that the benefits of the tower would outweigh any negative visual impact, noting that it would improve the water supply not only to the university’s campus but also to all of southern Bristol.

“No matter where this is placed, it’s going to be seen,” he said. “It’s something where it’s helping the whole community. To me, it’s a good swap-off.”

Roger Williams is proposing to put up the water tower at a cost of between $1 million and $1.5 million and then hand it over to the Bristol County Water Authority for a nominal fee of $1. The water authority would be responsible for the operation of the tower, which would be connected to the water system throughout town, while the university would take care of the upkeep of the exterior.

The school came up with the project while planning the construction of four new buildings on campus, including a new admissions house and a four-story dormitory. To ensure adequate fire protection, the school was considering putting in water storage tanks for each of the new buildings, but the total cost of doing that — an estimated $1 million — seemed high when compared to the return on the investment.

For the same amount of money, or a little more, the school can build a tower that would serve the entire campus and improve water pressure and flow in surrounding neighborhoods that have been plagued over the years by problems with the water supply.

“It is certainly a benefit to the university, but the community benefit is just as great if not greater,” said architect James P. Sperry, of the Portsmouth, N.H.-based Kaestle Boos Associates.

The school plans to erect the tower on the northwest corner of campus, about 300 feet from Metacom Avenue.

It was the location that had neighbors concerned last night.

Marilyn Whitney, who lives on Ambrose Court, asked if the tower could be moved somewhere else so it’s not so close to her residence, which is on the other side of Metacom Avenue from the university campus.

“My concern is that this is what I have to look at from my backyard,” she said. “I don’t understand why it has to be that visible to local residents.

Joseph Pangborn, university vice-president and chief information officer, said the school had looked at alternate locations, including one place about 400 feet further south. But he said that location wouldn’t significantly improve vistas from Ambrose Court.

Moreover, he said, there are no suitable places on the south side of campus far from any homes. And the far eastern edge on Mount Hope Bay is wetlands that cannot be built upon.

“This is the least obtrusive on campus,” he said of the proposed location.

The university must now go before the Zoning Board of Review for a height variance. Pangborn has said that if all the necessary approvals come through, construction of the water tower could start in October.

akuffner@projo.com