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Former councilman urges Portsmouth to reconsider high-lumen LED placement in residential areas
Summary
A former councilman and civic-league leader told Portsmouth council he supports LED streetlighting for cost savings but cautioned that high-lumen fixtures may be inappropriate for small-lot neighborhoods and asked the city engineer and Dominion Energy to review placement and lumen intensity.
Ray Smith, speaking as a representative of the Portsmouth Council of Civic Organizations and a former council member, commended the city's move toward LED streetlights for long-term savings but urged caution about fixture selection and placement in residential neighborhoods.
Smith said some LED fixtures are much brighter than older bulbs and cited a lumen figure (26,000 lumens) during his remarks, raising concern that high-intensity lights on narrow-frontage neighborhoods like West Haven and Old Town could excessively illuminate yards, bedrooms and disrupt residents. He recommended reviewing fixture types and placement decisions and asked the city engineer and Dominion Energy representatives to provide the selection process and catalog used for choosing lights.
Why it matters: Streetlighting choices affect public safety, energy costs and residential quality of life. Smith asked the city to ensure light levels are appropriate for neighborhood context rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.
Council response: Councilwoman Bryant asked the city manager to report back on the selection process and whether the lighting plan should be revisited; a staff follow-up was requested.
Provenance: Public comment by Ray Smith (SEG 1311–SEG 1410).
