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Stallings council urges tree trimming, technical audit before funding Kenwood LED conversion
Summary
Council reviewed a resident request to convert Kenwood’s streetlights to LED after staff and police presented data. Officials directed staff to trim trees blocking lights, survey residents, obtain a photometric audit (estimated $20,000), and consider funding as part of the FY2026–27 budget rather than approving immediate spending.
Council members on Tuesday debated whether the town should pay to convert the Kenwood subdivision’s streetlights to LED after residents raised safety and visibility concerns.
Town staff said the town’s street-light policy covers new pole installations and recurring energy costs but does not currently authorize paying to convert existing fixtures. Staff also reported that Duke Energy will not perform tree trimming except when trees interfere with routine maintenance. The town estimated a full Kenwood LED conversion at roughly $150,000 and a townwide conversion of non-LED fixtures at about $920,000.
The town’s police chief presented a 10-year comparison of selected incidents and said Kenwood had 231 calls of the types the town tracked, compared with 92 calls in three similarly sized neighborhoods the town used for a like-for-like comparison. "Kenwood had 231 calls of that type over 10 years and the three neighborhoods we combined had 92 calls," the chief said, adding that when normalized Kenwood had about 2.6 more calls per 100 households and that this difference alone suggested lighting alone would not produce a dramatic crime reduction.
Council members said some Kenwood streets are “strikingly dark” but worried a blanket conversion could create other problems (for example, brighter LED heads that some residents dislike) and be costly given similar spacing in other neighborhoods. Several council members recommended a stepwise approach: first clear tree canopy that is blocking fixtures, then—if darkness persists—commission a lighting (photometric) audit and survey residents about lighting preferences.
Staff told council it had received a consultant estimate of about $20,000 to perform a photometric plan for Kenwood and said it would provide more detailed cost breakdowns if council directed that next step. Council voted to direct staff to proceed with tree-clearing options where appropriate, obtain resident feedback, and return with a recommendation and cost estimates to be considered in the FY2026–27 budget cycle rather than to authorize immediate mid-year funding.
What’s next: Staff will provide options and refined costs, including the $20,000 audit estimate, after performing follow-ups with Duke Energy and the Kenwood HOA; any funding decision was left for the next budget cycle.
