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Beachwood studies residential lighting options; council asks vendor to present and to pilot solar fixtures
Summary
Council heard a presentation on expanding residential lighting across Beachwood, learned the city has about 650 streetlights and would need roughly 900'100 more, and agreed to invite a solar-light vendor for a council briefing and to pilot 5'7 fixtures before deciding on larger installation or a ballot measure.
City staff presented an administration review of residential lighting during the Aug. 20 Committee of the Whole meeting and outlined options to add roughly 900 to 1,000 fixtures to a current base of about 650 streetlights.
The staff presenter said three principal approaches were under consideration: use existing overhead poles (estimated $3.0'$3.2 million and a five-year timeline, reliable but visually intrusive), install decorative poles with underground wiring (much higher cost; timeline up to 10 years; potential tax assessment), or pursue carriage lighting and private-owner installations that shift installation and maintenance responsibility to homeowners. Staff cautioned that the carriage-light option had limited resident interest in prior pilots.
Staff also described a solar-lighting option offered by a vendor (Fondros): an estimated $3'$4 million to install 900'100 solar fixtures, with vendor-supplied variable intensity and models that can be dark-sky compliant. The presenter noted past park installations showed declining efficacy after multiple winters and flagged an estimated battery/mechanism replacement cost of about $500,000 every eight years; staff contrasted that with roughly $1.4 million in electricity costs for traditional lights over eight years. Given variability in tree canopy and winter weather, staff recommended a small pilot of 5 to 7 solar fixtures on streets with varying canopy and to invite the vendor to present engineering and reference data to the council.
Council members asked practical questions about sidewalk versus street illumination, LED color temperatures, how to enforce any homeowner-professional requirements, and how a citywide assessment or ballot question would be framed and costed. Multiple members said they favored testing the solar option before committing to a large expenditure and emphasized the need to present residents a clear assessment estimate before any vote. One member proposed taking a funding question to voters if the city chose an underground-decorative approach.
The council directed staff to schedule a vendor presentation (on a council meeting night if possible), to obtain references and more precise pricing, and to set up a pilot before ordering fixtures. Staff said they would try to schedule the presentation in October and would not proceed with ordering pilots until the vendor briefing and council discussion were complete.
