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Lights illuminate Upper Township Hall on Tuckahoe Road in the Petersburg section of the community. Under a proposal set to come before the Planning Board, the township may consider limiting outside lighting on future projects as part of a dark-sky initiative.
UPPER TOWNSHIP — The future could get darker as township officials consider reducing the amount of artificial light.
The township Planning Board is set to start a discussion on a potential “dark sky” ordinance that could apply to future development, and Mayor Curtis Corson wants to evaluate the streetlights throughout the sprawling municipality.
“There’s a lot of redundancy on lights,” Corson said at a recent meeting. “I’m not saying we’re going to eliminate them all, but there are some that need to go. I just think it’s something we need to look at.”
Township engineer Paul Dietrich plans to have a report ready to present at the next Township Committee meeting, planned for July 25. If members of the committee support the recommendations, it could mean the removal of excess lights in some areas.
The township has more than 1,500 street lights, Dietrich said, with a total cost in electricity of between $220,000 and $270,000 annually. That amount could be reduced by 15% to 20%.
Corson said he had requested the evaluation and cited neighboring Dennis Township, where there are very few municipal streetlights.
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The township should keep lights at intersections and in residential neighborhoods, Dietrich recommended, and anywhere there are sidewalks.
"There are a lot of lights that are on county highways or state highways where the speeds are high and they’re not really set up for pedestrian traffic," Dietrich said.
In other instances, Corson said, there are lights on each side of the road, citing an area of Route 9 near Seaville United Methodist Church.
“One’s effective. Two is a waste of money,” Corson said.
That’s not the only change under consideration.
On July 21, the Planning Board is set to begin what is likely to be a lengthy discussion about creating a “dark sky” ordinance, which if enacted would reduce the amount of light emanating from future houses and businesses.
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It would not mean turning off the lights on existing properties like a civil defense warden in a cartoon from World War II. Dietrich said the proposed ordinance would apply to new site plans that come before the Planning Board, not to existing properties.
Before that would take place, the change would need a recommendation from the Planning Board and an ordinance approved by the Township Committee.
The township’s Green Team and the state recommended the township consider ways to reduce light pollution, Dietrich said.
It sounds as though there will be a lot to discuss. As Dietrich pointed out in an interview Wednesday, Upper Township includes beachfront neighborhoods, suburban subdivisions and rural sections.
“There may be different standards for different locations,” he said.
Even in the early stages of discussions, some are critical of the proposal. At Monday's committee meeting, Strathmere resident Elaine Holsomback argued that reducing the amount of light could be dangerous.
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“I am here to question the impact it might have on our citizens,” she said. Removing street lights could save money but may have other consequences. “Our streets are already very dark.”
Outside house lights are important for safety, she said, for walking and to discourage intruders. She added she can still see the stars with her outside lights on.
“Darkened streets invite fall hazards,” she said.
“Please do not darken our streets and our homes. The safety and security of every citizen is at stake,” Holsomback said.
On Strathmere beach paths, there are signs asking homeowners not to put spotlights onto the beach, citing the potential impact on nesting sea turtles.
These signs were not put in place by the township, Dietrich said, speculating that they may have come from residents. He said the signs appear to have been made for Florida or other areas where loggerhead turtles lay eggs on beaches.
Loggerhead turtles can become disoriented by streetlights and head inland instead of returning to the water.
The turtles, an endangered reptile that can weigh up to 400 pounds, can be found in New Jersey but typically nest in the warmer climate much farther south.
In Strathmere, diamondback turtles come up from the bay side, more often during the day, with passing cars being the biggest threat as they cross roads each summer.
The International Dark-Sky Association, an advocacy group for reducing ambient light, argues that additional lighting is not proven to reduce crime and that constant artificial light can harm wildlife and human health. Even where street lighting remains, the organization suggests installing shields to keep the light where it is directed.
“Regrettably, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to get the offending streetlights removed because once installed, streetlights are rarely, if ever, taken out,” reads a statement on the organization’s website.
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Lights illuminate Upper Township Hall on Tuckahoe Road in the Petersburg section of the community. Under a proposal set to come before the Planning Board, the township may consider limiting outside lighting on future projects as part of a dark-sky initiative.
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