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Residents urge Met-Ed to shield new LED streetlights, citing Dark Sky guidance
Summary
At the March 4 Fairfield Borough Council meeting residents urged Met-Ed to install shields on planned LED streetlight replacements and to use 2700 kelvin fixtures, citing Dark Sky International guidance; the council took the comments during public comment but made no formal decision.
At the March 4, 2026 meeting of the Borough of Fairfield Council, resident Richard Taylor raised concerns about planned Met-Ed LED streetlight replacements, and Cathleen McGowan-Taylor distributed guidance from Dark Sky International urging lower-color-temperature, shielded fixtures.
"2700 kelvin is the new standard for acceptable lighting in residential areas and that lighting should be shielded," Cathleen McGowan-Taylor said, according to materials she distributed to council members. Taylor and McGowan-Taylor asked that Met-Ed install shields on the new streetlights when they are put in place.
Council President Patricia Smith accepted the comments during the public comment period; the council did not vote or direct staff to take immediate action on the lighting request at this meeting. Solicitor Battersby, who attended and commented elsewhere on the agenda, did not propose an ordinance or fee change related to lighting during the session.
The issue—color temperature and shielding for LED fixtures—affects residential light levels and night-sky glare and typically requires coordination with the owning utility. Residents requested that Fairfield communicate the preference for 2700 kelvin and full-cutoff shielding to Met-Ed as installations are planned.
The council did not set a follow-up date on the record; residents and council members may raise the issue again at the next regular meeting on March 24, 2026.
