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Residents tell Clarkdale council LED park lights risk historic character and eyesight; town manager invites participation in tourism working group
Summary
Two Clarkdale residents urged the council to reconsider installation of 18 LED street lights at Jeanne Park, citing potential effects on dark-sky tourism, historic character and health concerns related to blue spectrum light. Town staff described existing tourism-marketing efforts and invited residents to join the tourism working group.
Two residents raised concerns at the Clarkdale Town Council’s June 24 public-comment period about proposed new lighting and the appearance of recently installed park structures.
Austin Jackson, who identified himself as a Clarkdale resident and local business consultant, told the council he opposed installing the 18 proposed LED lights at Jeanne Park and urged officials to choose fixtures with a warmer spectrum to protect dark-sky viewing and residents’ eyesight. “I don’t really want to see LED lights in the city,” Jackson said, adding that blue-rich light can increase nearsightedness and cataracts; he told the council he submitted a briefing with sources on light spectrum and health and offered alternatives and product recommendations.
Wendy Jackson, who lives in Lower Clarkdale near Jeanne Park, said neighbors are confused and upset by the park’s color choices and by bright, “fluorescent blue” shades and gazebo finishes. She said the new fixtures and shades block views and create concern about safety for children using the equipment at night. She requested consideration of timers or limiting lighting to events and noted several scheduled Parks and Recreation meetings had been canceled, which limited opportunities for public input.
Town Manager Guthrie responded during the meeting that the town has a tourism-marketing committee made up largely of local business owners and that the town currently spends $75,000 a year on tourism marketing and leverages the Arizona Office of Tourism to increase that budget. Guthrie invited Jackson and other business owners to join the town’s tourism working group and said staff will reach out to include them in next year’s marketing-buy decisions.
The council did not take action on lighting design at the meeting. Council members and staff noted statutory limits on discussing matters raised in public comment outside agendized items; the town manager said staff would review the briefing materials and follow up with the resident.
Ending: Town staff offered to review the resident’s briefing on LED-spectrum alternatives and to invite the speakers to the tourism working group; no change to park lighting was adopted at the meeting.
