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Commission backs five streetlight installs and asks staff to study spacing rules after resident complaint
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Summary
The Transportation Commission recommended five streetlight installations for FY26-27, postponed three other candidates for further study, and directed staff to research amendments or an exemption process to the town's streetlight-spacing standards after a Creekside resident described areas that are "pitch dark." Staff noted current standards require lights where spacing exceeds 600 feet and that changing the rule would have townwide implications.
The Town of Flower Mound Transportation Commission on April 14 recommended a set of five streetlight locations for the upcoming fiscal-year program and asked staff to study potential changes to the town's streetlight-spacing standards after a resident said his subdivision is inadequately lit.
Thomas, the staff presenter, reviewed the streetlight program and how staff ranks candidate locations by priority. He said the town currently requires streetlights at intersections, cul-de-sacs and on midblock spans where spacing exceeds 600 feet; typical installation cost estimates range from under $10,000 for low-cost sites to more than $20,000 for complicated locations. "Addressing these requests will require changing and amending the town's streetlight design criteria," Thomas said, describing policy options such as reducing maximum spacing, adding a minimum spacing or creating an exemption pathway.
During public comment, resident Suresh Mutiala of Creekside at Heritage Park told the commission parts of his neighborhood are "so pitch dark" and said the elevation and tree cover make existing lights ineffective. "We're scared to walk," he said. Thomas told the commission his site inspection found the subdivision currently meets town standards (no inter-light spacing exceeded 600 feet), which means it would not be eligible for additional lights under the present rule without a formal change.
On the regular streetlight-priority item, commissioners discussed practical ways to reduce cost (for example, upgrading existing posts/fixtures instead of adding new median-mounted poles) and reviewed candidate constraints such as TxDOT right-of-way and limited utility access. The commission moved, and approved, a recommendation to staff to install locations numbered 1 through 5 in the FY26-27 list and to postpone locations 6 through 8 pending further evaluation. The vote was recorded as unanimous among those present.
Commission direction to staff included: compare spacing rules and practices in comparable Texas cities, evaluate whether adding a defined exemption or variance process would allow site-specific decisions (for example, where elevation prevents existing fixtures from illuminating the roadway), and return with cost and policy options for a future work session. Thomas said he would bring a comparative study and draft options back to the commission for further direction.
What happens next: staff will return with a comparative analysis of streetlight spacing practices in other cities, cost implications for lowering spacing or adding an exemption process, and recommended language or procedures for the commission and — if required — for Town Council review.
