Council upholds appeal, blocks proposed 150-foot public-safety tower at Buena Vista site

The City Council on Aug. 5 voted to uphold an appeal and deny the planning director’s approval for a proposed 150-foot lattice radio tower and site modifications at the water department property on Thousand Buena Vista Road. The decision reverses the Planning Commission’s earlier director review approval and returns the matter to staff for reconsideration of alternative locations.

City technology staff described the tower as one of six sites in a replacement public-safety radio system; Assistant Director Katie Reid told the council staff prioritized reuse of existing tower sites to deliver the system most quickly and cost-effectively and noted the water-department location was already engineered and funded. "We're slated to go live at the end of calendar year 2027," Reid said, and explained that moving to a new park site could add one to two years and $500,000–$1.5 million in unplanned costs.

Opponents and the appellant argued the specific siting choice places the new structure nearer to homes and a school, raising aesthetic and neighborhood concerns. Project civil lead Gary Jordan explained the steel lattice structure would stand 150 feet tall with receive antennas extending to about 170 feet. After questions and debate, Councilmember Coleman moved to uphold the appeal; the motion carried, with two council members recorded as voting no, meaning the appeal was sustained and director’s review denied for the current site.