Vexation over Sir Francis Drake Boulevard streetlights continues

Jul 30, 2023

Marin County is adjusting newly installed streetlights on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in Greenbrae and Kentfield after finding inconsistencies in height and brightness.

The discovery, and subsequent fine-tuning of the light fixtures, is part the "quality control process" for this type of project, said Julian Kaelon, spokesperson for the Marin County Department of Public Works.

However, the new lights were intended to quell complaints among neighbors who said the former lights were too tall and too bright. Disheartened residents said the county missed the mark, again.

"I don't have much confidence the lights as they are can be adjusted," said Brooke Candrian, whose backyard is against Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. "I’d rather see the lights come down, honestly, and put in a place where it is needed for safety."

Candrian said that when the lights lit up on May 2 for the first time, they appeared to be worse than the ones that were there before.

The lower height meant the light bleed was more directly traveling into her yard and home, and the stars at night disappeared, Candrian said.

"All I ask for is some sort of housing on them so the light is directed where it's supposed to be — on the street," said Denise Ferrari, who had a similar experience. "I really hope we could work toward a solution."

Residents said there are too many poles and questioned why the lights were needed at all, considering the brightly lit Bon Air Shopping Center is in the same area.

"The street lighting is for public safety for all users of the corridor by improving nighttime visibility," Kaelon said. "We are doing all we can to address the concerns of the neighbors while still maintaining the necessary safety standards along the corridor."

Resident Diana Hedrick said that if the issue was safety, more attention should have been put into the sidewalk, post-and-cable fencing and bike lanes.

"It just doesn't make sense," Hedrick said.

The project is connected to the $18 million overhaul of the boulevard that was completed in 2021 after 18 months of work. Crews repaved and restriped more than 2 miles while replacing and reconfiguring crosswalks, traffic signals, turn lanes and lighting, among other changes.

The original project included 79 single-light poles and 42 double-light poles, for a total of 163 lights, according to the public works department.

The lights were turned on in February 2021, which is when residents complained their yards and bedrooms were suddenly under a spotlight.

Community members said they felt blindsided by the streetlights because they were not part of the environmental impact report, a study required under the California Environmental Quality Act.

County officials worked with consultants to meet with the community to resolve the issue. The county had to figure out how to provide lighting for road safety while ensuring that backyards were not awash in bright light.

The Marin County Board of Supervisors approved a $729,000 project to replace the light fixtures with shorter, more decorative poles and with dimmer bulbs.

The materials cost $300,000; the planning and design are $196,000; and the removal and installation cost $233,000. Columbia Electric Inc. of San Leandro was hired for the project.

The abatement began in August, but then was delayed until April because of supply chain shortages. In all, 20 poles in the medians between Manor Road and Eliseo Drive were replaced with the 28 new ones.

On May 2, the lights were turned on for a 72-hour "burn-in" period, when the lights were monitored and tested, Kaelon said.

It was determined that 12 poles were taller than the 25-foot height they were supposed to be, and several fixtures were too bright. They have since been turned off for adjustments.

Now the county is working with its contractor to shorten poles and replace bulbs where necessary. The contractor will also be installing photocells — sensors that turn the lights on when it gets dark and off again when it's light.

In situations where there is still light bleed, Kaelon said workers will install back shields to redirect the light to the street.

The adjustments are being tailored for each individual lamp, Kaelon said. The county is still awaiting the arrival of certain parts. There is no timeline for when the adjustments will be completed, he said, but once all parts are installed, the county will turn them on for another quality-control testing period.

Marin County Supervisor Katie Rice, whose district includes the area, said the county still has to complete landscaping in the medians where the poles are situated, which she said will help minimize the visual impact of the number of poles.

"In the end it's not going to be perfect," Rice said. "But I think both aesthetically, and in terms of the style of the light fixtures, the intensity of the light, the spread of light, this is going to be a great improvement over the original in response to the neighbors concerns."

Meanwhile, a permanent replacement of the post-and-cable fence — a second revision along the boulevard — is still in the works.

Sections of the fence were mangled in a series of crashes last year. The county installed a similar fence as a temporary solution while staff explored options to correct the problem. County officials said they had planned to provide an update by the end of January.

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