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                                                                    Exhibit 10.1


                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT



     EMPLOYMENT  AGREEMENT  dated  as of  December  30,  1999,  by  and  between
SPECTRASITE  COMMUNICATIONS,  INC., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"),  and
Douglas A. Standley (the "Employee").

                              W I T N E S S E T H:

     WHEREAS the Company desires to induce the Employee to enter into employment
with the Company for the period provided in this Agreement,  and the Employee is
willing to accept such employment with the Company on a full-time  basis, all in
accordance with the terms and conditions set forth below;

     NOW,  THEREFORE,  for and in  consideration  of the premises hereof and the
mutual covenants  contained herein, the parties hereto hereby covenant and agree
as follows:

     1.  Employment.  (a) The Company hereby agrees to employ the Employee,  and
the Employee hereby agrees to accept such employment with the Company, beginning
December 30, 1999 (the "Effective Date") and continuing for the period set forth
in Section 2 hereof, all upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.

     (b) The Employee  affirms and represents that as of the commencement of his
employment by the Company on the  Effective  Date he will be under no obligation
to any former employer or other party which is in any anyway  inconsistent with,
or which imposes any restriction  upon, the Employee's  acceptance of employment
hereunder with the Company,  the  employment of the Employee by the Company,  or
the Employee's undertakings under this Agreement.

     2. Term of Employment.  (a) Unless  earlier  terminated as provided in this
Agreement,  the term of the Employee's  employment under this Agreement shall be
for a period beginning on the Effective Date and ending on the third anniversary
of the Effective Date (the "Initial Term").

     (b) The term of the Employee's  employment  under this  Agreement  shall be
automatically renewed for additional one-year terms (each a "Renewal Term") upon
the expiration of the Initial Term or any Renewal Term unless the Company or the
Employee delivers to the other, at least one year prior to the expiration of the
Initial Term or the then  current  Renewal  Term,  as the case may be, a written
notice specifying that the term of the Employee's employment will not be renewed
at the end of the Initial  Term or such  Renewal  Term,  as the case may be. The
period from the Effective  Date until the third  anniversary of said date or, in
the event that the  Employee's  employment  hereunder is earlier  terminated  as
provided  herein or renewed as provided in this  Section  2(b),  such shorter or
longer period, as the case may be, is hereinafter called the "Employment Term".

     3.  Duties.  The  Employee  shall be  employed as  President,  Broadcasting
Division of the Company, shall faithfully and competently perform such duties as

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inhere in such  position and as are  specified in the By-laws of the Company and
shall also perform and  discharge  such other  executive  employment  duties and
responsibilities  as the Chief  Executive  Officer or Board of  Directors of the
Company shall from time to time determine. The Employee shall perform his duties
principally at the offices of the Company in Dallas,  Texas, with such travel to
such other locations from time to time as the Company may reasonably  prescribe.
Except as may otherwise be approved in advance by the Chief Executive Officer or
Board of  Directors  of the  Company,  and except  during  vacation  periods and
reasonable  periods  of  absence  due to  sickness,  personal  injury  or  other
disability,  the Employee  shall devote his full  business time  throughout  the
Employment  Term to the services  required of him hereunder.  The Employee shall
render his business  services  exclusively  to the Company and its  subsidiaries
during the Employment  Term and shall use his best efforts,  judgment and energy
to improve  and  advance  the  business  and  interests  of the  Company and its
subsidiaries  in a manner  consistent  with the duties of his position.  Nothing
contained in this Section 3 shall preclude the Employee from performing services
for charitable or  not-for-profit  community  organizations,  provided that such
activities do not interfere  with the  Employee's  performance of his duties and
responsibilities under this Agreement.

     4. Salary and Bonus. (a) Salary. As compensation for the performance by the
Employee of the services to be performed  by the Employee  hereunder  during the
Employment  Term, the Company shall pay the Employee a base salary at the annual
rate of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000) (said amount,  together with any
increases  thereto  as may be  determined  from  time to  time by the  executive
officers of the Company in their sole discretion,  being hereinafter referred to
as "Salary"). Any Salary payable hereunder shall be paid in regular intervals in
accordance with the Company's payroll practices from time to time in effect.

     (b) Bonus.  The Employee  shall be eligible to receive  bonus  compensation
from the  Company  of up to Forty  Percent  (40%) of Salary in  respect  of each
fiscal  year (or  portion  thereof)  occurring  during  the  Employment  Term in
accordance  with the Company's  management  bonus plan as in effect from time to
time, in each case as may be determined by the Board of Directors of the Company
in its  sole  discretion  on  the  basis  of  performance-based  criteria  to be
established from time to time by the Board of Directors in its sole discretion.

     5. Other Benefits;  Company Stock. (a) General. During the Employment Term,
the Employee shall:

          (i) be eligible to participate in employee fringe benefits and pension
     and/or  profit  sharing  plans that may be  provided by the Company for its
     senior  executive  employees in accordance  with the provisions of any such
     plans, as the same may be in effect from time to time;

          (ii) be eligible  to  participate  in any medical and health  plans or
     other  employee  welfare  benefit plans that may be provided by the Company
     for its senior executive employees in accordance with the provisions of any
     such plans, as the same may be in effect from time to time;

          (iii) be entitled to the number of paid vacation days in each calendar
     year  determined by the Company from time to time for its senior  executive
     officers, provided that such number of paid vacation days in each calendar

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     year shall not be less than Twenty  work days (Four  calendar  weeks);  the
     Employee  shall also be entitled to all paid holidays  given by the Company
     to its senior executive officers;

          (iv) be eligible  for  consideration  by the Board of Directors of the
     Company for awards of stock  options  under any stock option plan which may
     be established by the Company for its and its  subsidiaries' key employees,
     the amount,  if any, of shares for which options may be granted to Employee
     to be in the sole discretion of the Board of Directors of the Company;

          (v) be  entitled to sick leave,  sick pay and  disability  benefits in
     accordance  with any  Company  policy  that  may be  applicable  to  senior
     executive employees from time to time;

          (vi) be entitled to  reimbursement  for all  reasonable  and necessary
     out-of-pocket business expenses incurred by the Employee in the performance
     of his duties  hereunder in accordance  with the Company's  normal policies
     from  time to time in effect  (including,  without  limitation,  relocation
     expenses); and

          (vii) be entitled to use of an automobile  or an automobile  allowance
     consistent with that provided by the Company to its senior management.

     (b) Options.  The Company shall cause SpectraSite  Holdings,  Inc. to issue
options to the Employee under the SpectraSite  Holdings,  Inc. Stock Option Plan
to purchase Six Hundred and Forty  Thousand  (640,000)  shares of Common  Stock,
$.001 par value,  of  SpectraSite  Holdings,  Inc. at Ten Dollars and  Fifty-Six
Cents  ($10.56) per share.  The  Employee's  interest in such options shall vest
over a five (5) year  period  beginning  January  1,  2000,  depending  upon the
satisfaction of certain  performance  criteria set forth in Exhibit A hereto. In
the event  the  Employment  Term is  terminated  by the  Company  without  cause
pursuant to Section 7(a)(iv), the Employee shall be deemed to have satisfied (i)
the "Level 3" performance  criteria for EBITDA for Broadcast  Tower Ownership as
set forth on Exhibit A for each  calendar  year through  December 31, 2004 which
ends after the date of such termination,  and (ii) the performance  criteria for
EBITDA for Tower  Fabrication  and  Erection  as set forth on Exhibit A for each
calendar  year  through  December  31,  2004  which  ends after the date of such
termination;  and the stock  options  which would have become  exercisable  upon
attainment of such performance  criteria  subsequent to such  termination  shall
immediately become exercisable as of the date of such termination. (The Employee
also may  exercise any stock  options  which  become  exercisable  prior to such
termination of employment.)

     (c) Restricted  Stock.  The Employee shall be offered for purchase  125,000
shares  of  Common  Stock of the  Company,  in  accordance  with the  terms  and
conditions of a Restricted  Stock Purchase  Agreement  substantially in the form
attached  hereto.  Within  thirty  (30) days of his  purchase of such shares (if
any),  the Employee  shall file an election  with the Internal  Revenue  Service
("IRS") pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code to include in his
gross  income for 2000 the excess of the fair  market  value of such shares over
the one Cent  ($0.01) per share  "Purchase  Price" he paid for such shares under
the Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement (the "Discount"). The fair market value

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of the shares shall be determined by the Company in its sole  discretion,  based
upon  the  transactions  in the  Company  shares  on  NASDAQ  at the time of the
Employee's purchase. At the time the Employee purchases such shares, the Company
shall  pay to the  Employee  a bonus  equal  to  seventy  percent  (70%)  of the
Discount,  which is  intended  to pay the income and  payroll  taxes due on such
Discount plus the income and payroll taxes on the bonus,  such that the Employee
will not have any  out-of-pocket  cash expense for income and payroll taxes with
respect to the Employee's purchase of the such shares.

     6.  Confidential  Information.  The employee hereby  covenants,  agrees and
acknowledges as follows:

     (a) The  Employee has and will have access to and will  participate  in the
development of or be acquainted with confidential or proprietary information and
trade  secrets  related to the business of the Company and any present or future
subsidiaries or affiliates of the Company  (collectively  with the Company,  the
"Companies"), including but not limited to (i) customer lists; claims histories,
adjustments and settlements and related records and compilations of information;
the identity,  lists or descriptions of any new customers,  referral  sources or
organizations;   financial   statements;   cost   reports  or  other   financial
information; contract proposals or bidding information; business plans; training
and  operations  methods and  manuals;  personnel  records;  software  programs;
reports and  correspondence;  and  management  systems,  policies or procedures,
including  related  forms and manuals;  (ii)  information  pertaining  to future
developments  such as  future  marketing  or  acquisition  plans or  ideas,  and
potential new business locations;  (iii) confidential or non-public  information
relating to business  operations and strategic plans of third parties with which
the  Companies  have or may be  assessing  commercial  arrangements,  including,
without limitation,  site build and deployment plans and schedules,  search ring
and site locations or potential  locations,  actual or projected wireless system
subscribers  and capital  expenditures  and operating cost  information  ("Third
Party Information") and (iv) all other tangible and intangible  property,  which
are used in the business and  operations  of the  Companies but not made public.
The  information  and trade  secrets  relating to the business of the  Companies
described hereinabove  (including Third Party Information) in this paragraph (a)
are  hereinafter  referred to collectively  as the  "Confidential  Information",
provided  that  the  term   Confidential   Information  shall  not  include  any
information (x) that is or becomes generally publicly available (other than as a
result of violation of this  Agreement by the  Employee),  (y) that the Employee
receives on a  nonconfidential  basis from a source (other than the Companies or
their representatives) or, in the case of Third Party Information, from a source
(other than the Companies,  the third parties to which such information  relates
or their respective  representatives) that is not known by him to be bound by an
obligation of secrecy or  confidentiality to any of the Companies (or such third
parties,  in the  case  of  Third  Party  Information)  or (z)  that  was in the
possession  of the Employee  prior to disclosure by the Companies (or such third
parties, in the case of Third Party Information).

     (b) The Employee shall not disclose, use or make known for his or another's
benefit any Confidential Information or use such Confidential Information in any
way except as is in the best  interests of the Companies in the  performance  of
the  Employee's   duties  under  this  Agreement.   The  Employee  may  disclose
Confidential  Information  when required by a third party and  applicable law or
judicial  process,  but only after providing  immediate notice to the Company at
any third party's request for such  information,  which notice shall include the
Employee's intent with respect to such request.

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     (c) The  Employee  acknowledges  and  agrees  that a remedy  at law for any
breach  or  threatened  breach  of the  provisions  of this  Section  6 would be
inadequate  and,  therefore,  agrees  that the  Companies  shall be  entitled to
injunctive relief in addition to any other available rights and remedies in case
of any such breach or threatened breach by the Employee (and the Employee hereby
waives  any  requirement  that  any of the  Companies  provide  a bond or  other
security in  connection  with the  issuance of any such  injunction);  provided,
however,  that nothing  contained  herein shall be construed as prohibiting  the
Companies  from  pursuing any other rights and remedies  available  for any such
breach or threatened breach.

     (d) The Employee  agrees that upon  termination of his employment  with the
Company for any reason,  the Employee shall forthwith  return to the Company all
Confidential  Information  in  whatever  form  maintained  (including,   without
limitation, computer discs and other electronic media).

     (e) The  obligations of the Employee under this Section 6 shall,  except as
otherwise  provided  herein,  survive the termination of the Employment Term and
the expiration or termination of this Agreement.

     (f) Without  limiting  the  generality  of Section 10 hereof,  the Employee
hereby expressly agrees that the foregoing provisions of this Section 6 shall be
binding upon the Employee's heirs, successors and legal representatives.

     7. Termination. (a) The Employee's employment hereunder shall be terminated
upon the occurrence of any of the following:

          (i) death of the Employee;

          (ii) the  Employee's  inability  to  perform  his duties on account of
     disability or incapacity  for a period of one hundred  eighty (180) or more
     days,  whether  or not  consecutive,  within  any  period  of  twelve  (12)
     consecutive months;

          (iii) the Company giving written notice,  at any time, to the Employee
     that the Employee's  employment is being terminated "for cause" (as defined
     below);

          (iv) the Company giving written  notice,  at any time, to the Employee
     that the Employee's  employment is being  terminated other than pursuant to
     clause (i), (ii) or (iii) above; or

          (v) the Employee  terminates his  employment  hereunder for any reason
     whatsoever (whether by reason of retirement, resignation or otherwise).

          The  following  actions,  failures  and  events  by or  affecting  the
     Employee shall  constitute  "cause" for  termination  within the meaning of
     clause (iii) above: (A) a conviction of the Employee of, or the entering of
     a plea of nolo  contendere by the Employee  with respect to, a felony,  (B)
     dependence on, or habitual abuse of,  controlled  substances or alcohol (in
     the case of alcohol abuse, that has a material adverse effect on Employee's
     performance of his obligations  under this Agreement) or acts of dishonesty
     by the  Employee  that  are  materially  detrimental  to one or more of the
     Companies, (C) willful misconduct by the Employee that materially damages

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     the business of one or more of the Companies,  (D) gross  negligence by the
     Employee in the  performance  of, or willful  disregard by the Employee of,
     his material  obligations under this Agreement or otherwise relating to his
     employment,   which  gross  negligence  or  willful   disregard   continues
     unremedied  for a period of fifteen (15) days after written  notice thereof
     to the  Employee,  (E) failure by the Employee to obey the  reasonable  and
     lawful  orders and policies of the Board of Directors  that are material to
     and  consistent  with the provisions of this  Agreement,  or (F) solely for
     purposes of determining the Employee's vested interest in the stock options
     under  Section  5(b) and the related  stock option  agreement  (and not for
     purposes  of  determining  the  eligibility  for  the  severance   benefits
     described  in Section  7(b)),  materially  substandard  performance  of his
     duties, which material substandard  performance either continues unremedied
     for a period of  fifteen  (15) days  after  written  notice  thereof to the
     Employee or cannot be remedied in such period of time;  (provided  that, in
     the case of an indictment described in clause (A) above, and in the case of
     clauses (B), (C), (D), (E) and (F) above,  the Employee shall have received
     written notice of such proposed  termination  (which notice shall state the
     Sections  of this  Agreement  pursuant to which such  termination  is being
     effected and a description of the facts supporting such  termination) and a
     reasonable  opportunity  (together with the Employee's  counsel) to discuss
     the matter with the Board of Directors of the Company, followed by a notice
     that the Board of Directors of the Company adheres to its position).

     (b) In the event that the  Employee's  employment  terminates  pursuant  to
clause  (i) or (ii) of  Section  7(a)  above  or is  terminated  by the  Company
pursuant to clause (iv) of Section 7(a) above,  whether  during the Initial Term
or during any Renewal Term  pursuant to Section 2(b) above,  then (i) during the
period  beginning on the date of such  termination and ending on the last day of
the Applicable Period (as defined in Section 9(a)), the Company shall pay to the
Employee, as severance pay or liquidated damages or both, monthly payments equal
to  one-twelfth  of (x) the rate per  annum  of his  Salary  at the time of such
termination  plus (y) the average  annualized bonus the Employee was paid by the
Company for the fiscal years during the term of this  Agreement  ending prior to
the date of such termination,  provided, however, that no such payments shall be
required to be made if the Employee fails to comply with his  obligations  under
Section 9 below;  (ii) the Company  shall  continue to provide the Employee with
the  health  insurance  benefits  provided  to other  employees  of the  Company
(including  employer  contributions) from the date of such termination until the
earlier  to occur of (x) the last day of the  Applicable  Period or (y) the date
upon which the Employee becomes eligible for coverage under the health insurance
plan of another  employer and (iii) the Options  held by the  Employee  that are
vested as of the date of such  termination  shall  continue to be exercisable by
the  Employee  until the earlier to occur of (x) the last day of the  Applicable
Period or (y) the expiration of the ten year term of such Options.

     (c)  Notwithstanding  anything to the contrary expressed or implied herein,
except as required  by  applicable  law and except as set forth in Section  7(b)
above,  the Company  (and its  affiliates)  shall not be  obligated  to make any
payments to the  Employee or on his behalf of whatever  kind or nature by reason
of the Employee's  cessation of employment  (including,  without limitation,  by
reason  of  termination  of  the  Employee's  employment  by the  Company's  for
"cause"),  other  than (i) such  amounts,  if any,  of his  Salary as shall have
accrued and remained unpaid as of the date of said cessation and (ii) such other
payments,  if any, which may be then otherwise  payable to the Employee pursuant
to the terms of the Company's benefits plans.

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     (d) No interest  shall  accrue on or be paid with respect to any portion of
any payments hereunder.

     (e) The  Employee's  rights under  Section  7(b) above shall be  considered
severance  pay  in  consideration  of  the  employee's  past  services  and  the
Employee's  continued  service to the Company from the Effective  Date,  and the
Employee's entitlement thereto shall neither be governed by any duty to mitigate
the  Employee's  damages  by  seeking  further  employment  nor  offset  by  any
compensation the Employee may receive from employment  following his termination
of employment with the Company.

     8. Non-Assignability.  (a) Neither this Agreement nor any right or interest
hereunder  shall be  assignable  by the Employee or his  beneficiaries  or legal
representatives without the Company's prior written consent; provided,  however,
that nothing in this Section 8(a) shall preclude the Employee from designating a
beneficiary  to  receive  any  benefit  payable  hereunder  upon  his  death  or
incapacity.  The Company may assign all of its rights and obligations under this
Agreement to (i) any person or entity  acquiring the  principal  assets used and
useful in the  operation of the Company or (ii) any  affiliate of the Company in
connection with the  reorganization  of the Company and its affiliates;  and, in
the event of such an assignment, each reference in this Agreement to the Company
shall include the assignee from and after the date of such assignment.

     (b) Except as  required  by law,  no right to receive  payments  under this
Agreement  shall be  subject to  anticipation,  commutation,  alienation,  sale,
assignment,  encumbrance,  charge,  pledge,  or  hypothecation  or to exclusion,
attachment,  levy or similar  process or to  assignment by operation of law, and
any attempt, voluntary or involuntary, to effect such action shall be null, void
and of no effect.

     9. Restrictive Covenants.

     (a)  Competition.  During the  Employment  Term and  during the  Applicable
Period (as defined  below),  the Employee will not directly or indirectly  (as a
director,   officer,  executive  employee,  manager,   consultant,   independent
contractor,  advisor  or  otherwise)  engage  in  competition  with,  or own any
interest in,  perform any services for,  participate in or be connected with any
business or organization  which engages in competition with any of the Companies
within the meaning of Section 9(d),  provided,  however,  that the provisions of
this Section 9(a) shall not be deemed to prohibit the  Employee's  (i) ownership
of not more than two  percent  (2%) of the total  shares of all classes of stock
outstanding of any publicly held company,  or (ii)  ownership,  whether  through
direct or indirect  stock  holdings or  otherwise,  of not more than one percent
(1%) of any other  business.  For purposes of this  Agreement,  the  "Applicable
Period" shall mean the twenty-four  (24) month period  following the termination
of the Employee's employment hereunder for any reason whatsoever.

     (b) Non-Solicitation.  During the Employment Term and during the Applicable
Period, the Employee will not directly or indirectly induce or attempt to induce
any  management  employee  of any of the  Companies  to leave the  employ of the

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Company  or such  subsidiary  or  affiliate,  or in any way  interfere  with the
relationship between any of the Companies and any employee thereof.

     (c) Non-Interference.  During the Employment Term and during the Applicable
Period, the Employee will not directly or indirectly hire, engage, send any work
to,  place  orders  with,  or in any  manner be  associated  with any  supplier,
contractor,  subcontractor or other business relation of any of the Companies if
such  action  would be known by him to have a  material  adverse  effect  on the
business,  assets or financial  condition of any of the  Companies or materially
interfere with the relationship between any such person or entity and any of the
Companies.

     (d) Certain Definitions.

          (i) For  purposes  of this  Section 9, a person or entity  (including,
     without limitation, the Employee) shall be deemed to be a competitor of one
     or more  of the  Companies,  or a  person  or  entity  (including,  without
     limitation,  the  Employee)  shall be deemed to be engaging in  competition
     with one or more of the Companies,  if such person or entity engages in the
     business  of  acquiring  or  constructing  towers for  telecom  carriers or
     operators or engaging in any other business  engaged in by the Companies at
     the time of termination of the Employee's  employment with the Company,  in
     either case in the  geographic  region  encompassing  the service  areas in
     which any of the Companies  conduct,  or had an  established  plan to begin
     conducting,  their  businesses  at the time of  termination  of  Employee's
     employment with the Company.

          (ii) For purposes of this Section 9, no corporation or entity that may
     be deemed to be an affiliate of the Companies solely by reason of its being
     controlled  by, or under common  control with,  Welch,  Carson,  Anderson &
     Stowe  VIII,  L.P.  or any of their  respective  affiliates  other than the
     Companies, will be deemed to be an affiliate of the Companies.

     (e)  Certain  Representations  of the  Employee.  In  connection  with  the
foregoing  provisions  of this  Section  9,  the  Employee  represents  that his
experience,  capabilities and  circumstances  are such that such provisions will
not prevent him from earning a livelihood.  The Employee further agrees that the
limitations set forth in this Section 9 (including, without limitation, time and
territorial  limitations) are reasonable and properly  required for the adequate
protection  of  the  current  and  future  businesses  of the  Companies.  It is
understood  and agreed that the covenants made by the Employee in this Section 9
(and in Section 6 hereof) shall survive the  expiration or  termination  of this
Agreement.

     (f) Injunctive Relief.  The Employee  acknowledges and agrees that a remedy
at law for any breach or threatened breach of the provisions of Section 9 hereof
would be  inadequate  and,  therefore,  agrees  that the  Company and any of its
subsidiaries or affiliates shall be entitled to injunctive relief in addition to
any  other  available  rights  and  remedies  in  cases of any  such  breach  or
threatened  breach (and the Employee hereby waives any  requirement  that any of
the Companies  provide a bond or other security in connection  with the issuance
of any such injunction);  provided, however, that nothing contained herein shall
be construed as prohibiting  the Company or any of its affiliates  from pursuing
any other  rights  and  remedies  available  for any such  breach or  threatened
breach.

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     10.  Binding  Effect.  Without  limiting or  diminishing  the effect of the
provisions affecting assignment of this Agreement, this Agreement shall inure to
the  benefit  of and be binding  upon the  parties  hereto and their  respective
heirs, successors, legal representatives and assigns.

     11. Notices. All notices which are required or may be given pursuant to the
terms of this  Agreement  shall be in  writing  and shall be  sufficient  in all
respects  if given in  writing  and (i)  delivered  personally,  (ii)  mailed by
certified or registered  mail,  return  receipt  requested and postage  prepaid,
(iii)  sent via a  nationally  recognized  overnight  courier  or (iv)  sent via
facsimile  confirmed  in  writing  to the  recipient,  if to the  Company at the
Company's  principal  place of  business,  and if to the  Employee,  at his home
address  most  recently  filed with the  Company,  or to such  other  address or
addresses  as either party shall have  designated  in writing to the other party
hereto, provided,  however, that any notice sent by certified or registered mail
shall be deemed  delivered  on the date of delivery as  evidenced  by the return
receipt.

     12. Law  Governing.  This  Agreement  shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of Texas.

     13.  Severability.  The Employee agrees that in the event that any court of
competent  jurisdiction  shall finally hold that any provision of Section 6 or 9
hereof is void or constitutes an unreasonable  restriction against the Employee,
the provisions of such Section 6 or 9 shall not be rendered void but shall apply
with respect to such extent as such court may judicially determine constitutes a
reasonable  restriction under the  circumstances.  If any part of this Agreement
other than  Section 6 or 9 is held by a court of  competent  jurisdiction  to be
invalid,  illegible or incapable of being enforced in whole or in part by reason
of any rule of law or public  policy,  such part  shall be deemed to be  severed
from the  remainder of this  Agreement  for the purpose  only of the  particular
legal  proceedings  in question and all other  covenants and  provisions of this
Agreement shall in every other respect  continue in full force and effect and no
covenant  or  provision  shall be deemed  dependent  upon any other  covenant or
provision.

     14. Waiver. Failure to insist upon strict compliance with any of the terms,
covenants  or  conditions  hereof  shall not be  deemed a waiver  of such  term,
covenant or condition,  nor shall any waiver or  relinquishment  of any right or
power hereunder at any one or more times be deemed a waiver or relinquishment of
such right or power at any other time or times.

     15. Arbitration. With the exception of any dispute regarding the Employee's
compliance with the provisions of Sections 6 and 9 above,  any dispute  relating
to or  arising  out of the  provisions  of this  Agreement  shall be  decided by
arbitration  in  Cary,   North  Carolina,   in  accordance  with  the  Expedited
Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association then obtaining, unless
the parties  mutually agree otherwise in a writing signed by both parties.  This
undertaking  to  arbitrate  shall  be  specifically  enforceable.  The  decision
rendered by the arbitrator will be final and judgement may be entered upon it in
accordance with appropriate laws in any court having jurisdiction  thereof. Each
of the  parties  shall  pay his or its  own  legal  fees  associated  with  such
arbitration.

                                       -9-
<PAGE>   10

     16. Entire Agreement;  Modifications. This Agreement constitutes the entire
and final expression of the agreement of the parties with respect to the subject
hereof and  supersedes  all prior  agreements,  oral and  written,  between  the
parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof.  This Agreement may be
modified or amended  only by an  instrument  in writing  signed by both  parties
hereto.

     17.   Counterparts.   This  Agreement  may  be  executed  in  two  or  more
counterparts,  each of  which  shall be  deemed  an  original,  but all of which
together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

     IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the Company and the Employee  have duly  executed and
delivered this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.

                                            SPECTRASITE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.





                                            By /s/David P. Tomick
                                              ----------------------------------
                                               Name:    David P. Tomick
                                               Title:   Chief Financial Officer





         By   /s/Douglas A. Standley
           ---------------------------
              Douglas A. Standley

                                      -10-