Plans to retrofit street lights in Coupeville are temporarily on hold while town officials review other options and seek public input.
The town was working with Puget Sound Energy, which owns the street lights, and the state Transportation Improvement Board, which implements a grant program to cover the cost of making the switch.
When the project was first proposed to the town council, Councilwoman Pat Powell raised concerns about the type of LED lights that are used and how they can affect the night sky and migratory fowl. She brought information to council from the International Dark Sky Association, which recommends LED lights with a color correlated temperature, or CCT, of 3,000 or less. These lights fall into a softer light spectrum than a blue LED light.
Mayor Molly Hughes discussed lighting options with a representative from the energy company. She told the council last week the only option in the grant program is a light from the blue spectrum with a 4,000 CCT.
“PSE will not go lower than that,” Hughes said.
Additional shielding to direct light downward can be installed, she added, but Puget Sound Energy will make the town wait for a while to see which lights need it.
Councilwoman Catherine Ballay compared the lighting option to the blue LED headlights in many newer cars, saying she doesn’t care for those.
“There’s quite a lot of information on the harm of 4,000 CCT to humans,” Powell said. “It’s creating glare. The glare is causing more harm to safety. Greater light is not necessarily better.”
Switching to LED lighting would be a cost savings of $5,300 to $6,400 annually.
“I like the cost savings, but we’re in a historical reserve. The night sky is the most historic thing about us,” Powell said. “I think our residents need input and education.”
Councilwoman Lisa Bernhardt agreed and said she’d like to see if there are any other programs available with other lighting options.
“Being in a reserve makes us unique,” Bernhardt said. “We’ve been brought one option from PSE.”
The rest of the council agreed.
“I feel like if we change all of our lights to that it’d change the whole feel of our town,” Ballay said.
Council directed Hughes and staff to look into other options and the possibility of holding a public meeting with representatives from both Puget Sound Energy and the National Dark Sky Association to present information and option to citizens.
