Public Works Committee Meeting - February 10, 2026
Public Works Committee Meeting - February 10, 2026
This meeting of the Winston-Salem Public Works Committee was held on February 10, 2026. The committee considered three general agenda items: a long-term lease for a cell tower in Shaffner Park, a design contract for the Brewer Road Sidewalk Project, and additional funding for the replacement of Bridge #296 on West First Street. All items were approved unanimously. Additionally, staff provided an update on the recent winter storm response.
Consent Calendar
- The consent agenda (Items C-1 and C-2) was approved unanimously. Item C-1 was a proposed updated annexation ordinance for tax parcel 6863-56-3853.000 (4015 Wallburg Road). Item C-2 was approval of the Public Works Committee summary of minutes from December 9, 2025.
Discussion Items
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G-1: Request for a Public Hearing – Vogue Towers II, LLC Lease in Shaffner Park – Assistant City Manager Aaron King presented the item, explaining that Vogue Towers II, LLC proposes a 150-foot tall monopine cell tower (disguised as a pine tree) on a 60x60 foot area in Shaffner Park to improve cell service in a heavy residential area. The lease would be for $1,000 per year for a two-year option, then $1,350 per month for a 5-year lease with seven 5-year options (total 40 years). The Recreation and Parks Commission and the City-County Planning Board both recommended approval. Council Member (West Ward) expressed support, noting many dead zones in the ward and minimal disruption to park use. Council Member Andree-Bowen asked about fencing around the base; staff confirmed a landscaped fence would be added. Council Member Scipio asked about the park boundaries and whether all carriers would be served; the representative from Vogue Towers confirmed the tower would be open to all carriers, with Verizon as initial tenant. The committee voted unanimously to approve the request for a public hearing on March 2, 2026.
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G-2: Resolution Authorizing Contract for Design of Brewer Road Sidewalk Project – Director of Transportation Jeff Fansler presented the item, which awards a $697,684 design contract to A. Morton Thomas and Associates. The project will install curb, gutter, and sidewalk on the west side of Brewer Road from West Clemmonsville Road to the roundabout, with a spur connection to Parkland High School. Council Member Scipio asked about the timeline and connection to existing sidewalk; Fansler noted the design takes 9-10 months, with construction expected in summer 2027. Council Members Taylor and Joiner (both Parkland High School alumni) expressed strong support, highlighting safety for students and residents. The motion passed unanimously.
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G-3: Additional Funding for Replacement of Bridge #296 on West First Street – City Engineer Michael Stover presented the item, which authorizes a supplemental agreement with NCDOT for an additional $2,971,278 in federal funding, requiring a 20% city match of $742,819. The bridge carries West First Street over Norfolk Southern Railroad. Stover noted the project has a $3.7 million deficit; $2.97 million came from the local TPO, with $320,000 already appropriated, leaving a $420,000 gap. Council Member Clark commented on the bridge’s poor condition and the high cost but supported replacement. Council Member Scipio asked about the timetable; Stover expects design review in 30-45 days, letting in April-May, city council approval in June-July, and 12-18 months construction. Council Member Andree-Bowen asked if the bridge would be fully closed during construction; Stover confirmed it would. The motion passed unanimously.
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Winter Storm Update – Assistant City Manager Aaron King provided an update on the back-to-back ice and snow events over the past two weeks. He noted the ice event was particularly challenging due to sub-25°F temperatures, limiting crews to about six hours of effective work per day. The second event (8 inches of snow) required re-clearing major routes. King outlined lessons learned, including improving an interactive map (similar to leaf collection) and daily situation reports. Council Member Scipio asked about equipment and staffing; King noted field operations had a 25% vacancy rate and some trucks were delayed in service. Council Members Andree-Bowen and Chair Burke thanked staff and emphasized daily citizen updates. No vote was taken on this discussion.
Key Outcomes
- G-1: Unanimous approval to schedule a public hearing for the Vogue Towers II, LLC lease on March 2, 2026.
- G-2: Unanimous approval of the $697,684 design contract for the Brewer Road Sidewalk Project with A. Morton Thomas and Associates.
- G-3: Unanimous approval of the supplemental agreement with NCDOT and budget ordinance for additional funding for Bridge #296 replacement.
- All consent agenda items approved unanimously.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon. Welcome to the Public Works February meeting. City Clerk, would you please call the roll? Chairwoman Burke here. Vice Chair Andrew Bowen. Here. Councilmember Clark. Here. And Councilmember Taylor. Present. Thank you. We have two consent items. Uh committee members. Are there any uh consent agenda items you would like to have pulled? Madam Chair, if there are none, I move for approval of the consent agenda. Second. Okay. It has uh we've had a motion and a second. Let us uh take a vote. All in favor of approving the consent agenda. Let it be known by saying aye. Aye. That's unanimous. It passes. City clerk, would you please read general item number one? Item G1. Request for a public hearing to consider Vogue Towers to LLC entering into a long-term lease agreement with the City of Winston-Salem for land located in Shaffner Park. Public hearing for March 2nd. Thank you. We'll hear from uh city manager, assistant city manager Aaron King. Easy there, Councilmember. I saw Pet. Look. As you should. Um well good afternoon, Chair Burke and Council members. Um this is a request of Vogue Towers LLC. This is um this is an area over off Silas Creek Parkway, Yorkshire Road, um, and Shaffner Park that has had challenges in getting cell service to the surroundings of heavy residential area and their challenges in finding a sites to locate a cell tower in there to serve the area. So the city was approached by Vogue Towers LSE to gauge our interest in seeing if we had any excess space over in Shaffner Park where a tower could be located to serve some of the demand in this area. And so what you see on the screen there before you outlined in yellow essentially represents um kind of what is before you today. So I'm looking at at Shaffner Park there on the east side of Silas Creek Parkway. What is shown in yellow is essentially a 60, the square end of that is a 60 by 60 area where the cell tower would be located. And we'd be looking at a hundred and fifty foot tall cell tower that would be a mono pine. So that's a cell tower that's essentially disguised to look like a pine tree. You've probably seen those around. And then the yellow piece that connects back out to Yorkshire Road would be essentially their the rights to to access the tower site through the parkland. Um so that is what is before you today. Um what is um Vogue Towers is offered is essentially a um uh thousand dollars for a year-long option to explore this with the option for a second year at another thousand dollar rate. If they were to move forward with the tower, uh they would pay the city thirteen hundred and fifty dollars per month rent um for that area moving forward, and that would be for a five-year lease with seven five-year options on top of it. So a total of 40 years if this was to move forward. For um uh for our purposes today, there's two kind of functions that council has.
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