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Preserving Scenery Or Ensuring Safety? Battle Brewing Over Placement Of Police Radio Tower In Vacaville

VACAVILLE (CBS13) — People in Vacaville are coming to together to protest a 60-foot-tall police radio tower going up on a mountain peak in their community.

The tower is being built on Drake's Point which is affectionately known as Old Rocky.

"It's an incredibly iconic location for Vacaville," resident James Gorham said. "Old Rocky is an absolutely spectacular view."

Gorham has formed a group called Concerned Citizens for Old Rocky. Signs are now up all across the neighborhood to save Old Rocky's ridgeline from a new addition—a city plan to build the police radio tower on top of it.

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"It's destroying something gorgeous that we have here," neighbor Angela Campbell said.

Opponents are worried the 60-foot tall police radio tower will soar atop Old Rocky's trees.

"The highest tree up there is 22 feet, so it'll extend 40 feet above that," Gorham said.

The Vacaville City Council approved the police radio tower in the name of public safety. It will eliminate gaps in first responder radio coverage.

"This is going to solve that problem," Vacaville city spokesman Mark Mazzaferro said. "And it really comes down to a question of aesthetics versus the safety of our police fire and the community in general."

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Opponents argue alternative sites were not seriously considered.

"They've suggested that they've done those alternatives," Gorham said. "But we've yet to see data, we've yet to see publications."

They also argue community outreach was not good enough.

"If you like something and you want it to stay, know what's happening, cause it could just go away," Campbell said.

Vacaville started pre-construction of the tower a few weeks ago. It hopes to have the tower completed by the end of the winter.

Opponents of the plan are now considering filing a lawsuit to stop it.

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