Neighborhood Sets Example for Soft, Focused Light and Dark Starry Skies

Avid hiker Andrea Michaels has long enjoyed watching the Perseids meteor showers from the banks of Laurel Lake, a duck pond on the edge of Walnut Canyon Village in east Flagstaff. However, her view is even better now, she says, because community members have largely changed their outdoor light fixtures to meet dark-sky standards.

“If you’re a camper or a backpacker, one of the greatest thrills when you’re out is looking into the endless depths of the universe,” she said. “It was frustrating when I would walk around the lake looking for a dark spot to see the stars because your eyes adjust for the bright lights and you can’t see as much. It’s a darker community now than it was.”

A few years ago, Michaels attended a “Let There Be Night” forum at the Museum of Northern Arizona. She was concerned when she heard that, despite Flagstaff’s status as the First International Dark Sky City, light pollution continues to threaten the darkness of the night. She also learned that, even though Flagstaff and Coconino County have strong lighting ordinances, poor lighting fixtures and bright, white LEDS were frequently being installed, which degrade night skies.

Those in attendance broke into groups that came up with recommendations for ways to push back against the loss of dark skies. Michaels took the ideas to heart and brought them home.

“Some of us had never even heard of a dark sky lighting project, which surprised us because the community’s been here for more than 30 years,” said Walnut Canyon Village Home Owners’ Association Treasurer Gordon Jacobson. “The HOA is responsible for the front lights [that illuminate the street address] on each home in the community. We took it upon ourselves to look into what it would take to replace the original coach-style lights.”

The community’s Beautification Committee, made up of Michaels, Pat Monroe and Bill Auberle, began researching fixtures and working with Chris Luginbuhl, board chair of the Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition (FDSC). That led to connections with APS and HomCo Lumber and Hardware.

HomCo Contractor Salesman Jonathan Whiteley worked with the community to find fixtures recommended by FDSC that shield and focus the light toward the ground. The group learned that amber bulbs are better for nocturnal wildlife than blue-ish white light.

HomCo Chief Financial Officer and General Manager Dan Groth spoke directly to fixture manufacturer Westinghouse to secure a discounted package deal for Walnut Canyon Village. “If we can get a better rate, we’ll pass it on to the community,” said Groth, a former general contractor familiar with Flagstaff’s lighting ordinances. “We started stocking the fixtures regularly. Now, anybody in Flagstaff can go to our electrical department and find all of our dark-sky fixtures in one section.”

For each of the 76 homes in Walnut Canyon Village, the HOA was able to purchase one fixture for each home that lights up the street address. Auberle says most homeowners have chosen to purchase and install the same fixture for their other four outdoor lights.

“It has made a difference. The initiative has really encouraged others to do it voluntarily,” he said. “And, it’s a great deal. I’m willing to go to a more energy-efficient, low-lighting fixture and it didn’t break the bank.”

“Unshielded glary porchlights is how light pollution hits most people – at home, where they live,” said Luginbuhl, a retired U.S. Naval Observatory astronomer. “On their own initiative, the homeowners of Walnut Canyon Village realized how much better they could make their neighborhood with such a simple change – better for the visibility of the house numbers and walkways, and better for visibility of stars. The Coalition appreciates their awareness and assistance in bringing even more stars into Flagstaff night skies!”

The homeowners say they are happy to serve as an example for how a neighborhood can help protect and conserve the dark sky resource. “We’d love to talk to anybody who wants the information that we gathered – what’s appropriate for this kind of community, what the Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition recommends and how to save money on lighting costs,” said Auberle.

For Michaels, it’s a home improvement that feels great outside and even better inside, deep in her soul. “It’s huge when you can see the stars and infuriating when you can’t, particularly up here where we usually have these marvelous clear skies.” FBN

By Bonnie Stevens, FBN