Town Council Decides To Ignore Dark Sky Ordinance
On May 28, the Charlestown Town Council voted 4 to 1, with Councilor Susan Cooper objecting, to acquire four more portable light towers. The lights will light the field behind the town hall to illuminate after-dark flag football for children aged 4 to 6 and tackle football for children aged 7 to 15. The lights will also be used in Ninigret Park to facilitate nighttime events. The town council acquired two of these towers at an earlier meeting, bringing the total number of town-owned portable light towers to six.
The portable light towers can be deployed to 23 feet tall, have a pure white LED light output of 188,000 lumens, and each is rated to light an area of 25,068 square feet. All six will brightly light a 3.5-acre area.
The lights are unshielded, facing outwards, not down, and the bulbs are of a stark white color associated with health risks for wildlife and humans.
The configuration and type of these lights violate Charlestown’s lighting ordinance. The ordinance that applies to any non-residential exterior lighting requires that lighting be fully shielded, focused downward, and not result in light trespass or light pollution.
The council discussed that the lights will violate the dark sky ordinance but decided that providing lights to the field behind Town Hall that would comply with the ordinance is more expensive and that the six light towers could be used in Ninigret Park to allow nighttime events in that park as well.
The ordinance that was passed in 2012 states that “all government-owned and operated properties and facilities are urged to immediately conform to the provisions of this ordinance.” Through the intervening 12 years, most of the town’s light fixtures have been converted to dark-sky-compliant lighting as past Town Councils sought to lead by example. New lighting fixtures for both commercial and town government facilities are required to conform to the ordinance.
The Town Council’s decision to violate the ordinance will make it more likely that commercial businesses throughout town will ignore the town’s 12-year effort to protect Charlestown’s beautiful dark skies.
The banner image is a photograph by Cliff Vanover of a portable light tower used during a past Rhythm and Roots Festival in Ninigret Park.
SERENA A SPOSATO
June 29, 2024 @ 9:36 am
How much more would having lights that abide by the law cost? Why not ask the residents?
David Westcott
June 27, 2024 @ 9:21 am
Not too bright, Town Council.
K. Fisher
June 22, 2024 @ 10:17 pm
This is just terribly sad to me that we are backtracking on environmental progress. We know that Charlestown is a very important bird migration route affected by light pollution and we love having the Frosty Drew observatory in our park. Why would we jeopardize those treasures? This is the only place on the eastern seaboard that you can still see the Milky Way… Not for long.
Michael Chambers
June 11, 2024 @ 3:50 pm
Based on the Council decisions over the last two years, this is no surprise. Anyone could have seen this coming.
L Hamblen
June 11, 2024 @ 9:16 am
I wonder what would happen if we all broke the law whenever we wanted? Both the Bible and history mention it very often….
Ruthanne Applegate
June 11, 2024 @ 9:06 am
Shame on you town council !!!
John Topping
June 10, 2024 @ 11:40 am
Lets hope that these council members get voted out in Nov and more responsible people are elected in, and maybe they can revoke this action.
George Tremblay
June 10, 2024 @ 11:21 am
Protection of dark skies above Charlestown has been an environmental priority since WW-II. What possible nighttime playground application could supplant that environmental achievement?
Walt
August 26, 2024 @ 10:01 am
We had decided to include Frosty Drew Observatory in our charitable trust plans but if the town itself does not realize what this resource is worth we will be removing it from our estate plans.
After every visit, of which there has been several, we have stopped at local restaurants for meals before or after our star gazing adventures. Maybe a question to ask your town council is how much additional business did Frosty Drew bring into the town.
Martin Lader
June 10, 2024 @ 11:04 am
Typical this town council does not care about preserving the beauty of Charlestown. Only interested in what they want not the residents.