Winston-Salem City Council has unanimously approved the construction of a new communications tower in a public park.
The 120-foot tower is set to be built in Shaffner Park in the city’s West Ward. Council Member Robert Clark, who represents the ward, says it’s needed because there are many known cell-service dead zones in the area.
“We are going to disguise it so it will look like a fake tree versus a cell tower, but it's a necessity. There's tennis courts right beside it, if someone were to have a heart attack on that tennis court, there may not be any cell service from there.”
Wireless infrastructure company Vogue Towers will lease the land from the city for about $1,000 a month. The tower is planned near a wooded section of the park, fenced off and closed to the public.
There’s no word yet on when construction will begin.