A little too bright? Huntsville Utilities aware of complaints about LED light installation

Sep 07, 2023

Huntsville Utilities is replacing old street lights with LED lighting. (Bob Gathany photo)

A Huntsville Utilities program that has its roots in an effort by the city council to reduce light pollution is doing the opposite, some residents and members of local astronomical groups say.

The installation of LED lighting around the city has been a subject of debate on Nextdoor between people upset about the brightness of the lights and people who think the lights are making things safer in areas prone to higher crime rates.

And Joe Kutner, a board member of the Von Braun Astronomical Society and Starry Skies South, had a blog post titled "Huntsville's Disappearing Dark Skies" that was critical of the installation.

"In general, I’m disappointed by the new lighting," he told the Lede. "I was hopeful back in 2019 that Huntsville would make a very progressive move. It would make sense for Huntsville to be one of the few cities in America that's conscientious about something like this. But the new lighting feels like the exact opposite of what I had hoped for in 2019."

Huntsville Utilities Community Relations Director Joe Gehrdes said the utility is installing "quite a lot" of LED streetlight replacements and is aware of the complaints.

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