West Chester committee hears dark‑sky briefing, considers warmer, shielded LED rules

At its May 14 meeting the West Chester Smart Growth Committee heard a presentation on responsible outdoor lighting that urged the borough to adopt dark‑sky practices for new construction and replacements.

Timothy Lawler, a member of the Westchester Green Team and an instructor at Penn State Brandywine, told the committee that newer white LED fixtures have a strong “blue… spike of light” and that “LEDs… are not great for human health because of the blue the sort of blue spike of light,” which he said suppresses melatonin and can affect sleep and wildlife. He recommended simple, established measures—point fixtures downward, use fully shielded fixtures, choose lower color temperatures (warmer, more amber/orange light) and add timers—saying these steps reduce sky glow and protect trees, insects and nocturnal animals.

The committee heard technical points and local observations: Lawler said satellite VIIRS imagery showed the southeast quadrant of the borough has higher measured illumination; he pointed to Everhart Park as an example of lower‑impact lighting. He also recommended Phoenixville’s dark‑sky ordinance as a model for language the borough could adopt.

A borough staff member explained the borough recently invested in new cobra‑head fixtures for parks and streets, noting the replacements cost “about $200,000, $300,000” and that the system can reduce individual street‑light intensity remotely when needed. The staff member added the county parking garage and county‑owned fixtures are a major source of background illumination and said the borough will meet with county representatives in early June to discuss that issue.

Committee members discussed practical steps the borough can take without replacing every fixture immediately: specifying warmer color temperature and fully shielded fixtures when stock is reordered, applying dark‑sky standards in site plan reviews, and drafting ordinance or policy updates to apply to new development and permit reviews. No formal ordinance change was adopted at the meeting.

Committee Chair Nicole Schimone said the discussion generated “good action items” for staff and outside partners and asked staff to return with draft language and implementation steps for the committee to consider in coming months.

The committee did not take a vote; staff said they will bring draft guidance and report back after the planned county meeting.