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Winchester Medical Center seeks 30‑foot ornamental light poles along Amherst Street corridor
Summary
Alley Engineering, for Winchester Medical Center, requested a conditional‑use permit to increase proposed decorative lighting from 20 to 30 feet at 1840 Amherst Street within the Corridor Enhancement overlay; staff recommended conditions including a 30‑foot maximum, downcast fixtures, and administrative review for replacements.
Alley Engineering, on behalf of Winchester Medical Center, asked the Planning Commission to allow 30‑foot ornamental light poles in a short section of the Amherst Street Corridor Enhancement (CE) overlay at 1840 Amherst Street.
Planning staff explained that the hospital’s approved January site plan showed 20‑foot poles for the parcel but that adjacent parts of the hospital campus already use 30‑foot lighting outside the CE overlay. Because the requested height exceeds the CE overlay’s current standard, the applicant filed a CUP (CUP‑25‑227) to permit 30‑foot poles. Staff recommended conditions that poles not exceed 30 feet, that fixtures be downcast, and that administrative review be required for any replacement lighting within the CE overlay.
Staff said taller poles allow broader illumination and can reduce the number of fixtures needed. Commissioners acknowledged that taller poles are less typical for pedestrian‑level corridors and noted the CE overlay’s intent for a smaller, more pedestrian‑oriented street scale; staff said that ornamentation and downcast fixtures can help address those concerns. One commissioner suggested the most important lighting need at the site is the pedestrian crossing at the parking‑lot entry and recommended the applicant evaluate targeted lighting there.
No formal action was taken at the work session. Staff will include the recommended conditions and the applicant’s updated plans in the public‑hearing materials before returning the item for decision.
