There are other ways to deal with obstacles in the visual segment. Removing the VDA is a poor option.
I review every FAA IFP as they are posted for public review. It appears that it is flight inspection that removes them, not the initial designers.
The FAA position is that the airport either remove the 20:1 penetration, or mitigation (sometimes) with a VGSI. But, when flight inspection doesn't like what they see for daytime operations the VDAs go.
I feel they are more concerned about FAA liability than safety.