The Board of Selectmen during its most recent meeting approved a $97,743 contract with a Norwalk-based company for 23 new lampposts and fixtures for the Center School Lot that serves New Canaan Library.
The town will re-use existing footings for lampposts in the busy lot while switching to a softer LED light that uses less voltage, according to Bill Oestmann, superintendent of buildings in the Department of Public Works.
“We’re not going to dig up the parking lot,” he said at the Board’s meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference.
Oestmann continued: “We’re going to actually go to the left and to the right of the entrance—so right across the library, where the lights end—we’re going continue from there and go right around the perimeter, put the new footings in, and then pull all the wiring.”
The wiring will go “through the grass,” Oestmann said, “so we’re not going to rip up any asphalt.”
The town also will be able to use existing conduits for the two “islands” in the lot.
First Selectman Dionna Carlson and Selectmen Steve Karl and Amy Murphy Carroll voted 3-0 in favor of the contract with F&M Electric Supply for 19 single and four twin lampposts. (The Board also voted in favor of two contracts, for $23,375 and $21,505, respectively, for removing and replacing the lampposts, and for associated electrical work.)
The lighting in the lot is designed to provide safety for patrons while using a sufficiently “soft” yellow light to avoid disturbing residential neighbors, officials said.
“We receive complaints often about the lighting there,” Public Works Director Tiger Mann said. “So we’ve trimmed the trees, we’ve added additional lights, but that is one lot that we receive the most complaints on as far as lighting.”
The selectmen asked why only one company bid on the contract (not sure), whether the new lampposts match those at Waveny (similar but no, these need to sit higher and diffuse the light differently due to neighbors), whether bolts would be visible at the base of the new lampposts (no), whether the town can control the lights’ color and intensity (yes), whether the lights are timed (yes) and whether the cost for the overall project came in as expected (a bit more).
“So I’m hearing minimal disturbance to the lot, minimal disturbance to parking and operations, et cetera,” Karl said. “My concern when I first saw this because of the amount of money we’re spending is that I feel like we haven’t completely solved or answered that lot as far as the long-, long-term use of the lot. I didn’t want to start laying stuff into the ground when there is a potential down the road to do something and expand that lot or change the footprint of it.”
Officials noted that a recent study of the Center School Lot showed that it is adequately serving the library. Mann and Oestmann said that if the town wants to expand that lot in the future by cutting into the grass along the South Avenue sidewalk, that’s possible.
Sounds like some much needed improvements to the Library / Center School Parking lot lighting. While we are digging up, installing new conduit and power around the perimeter of this lot, it would make logical sense to look at installing EV Charging capacity there. The high turn-over nature of the library parking makes it ideal for EV Charging as multiple users could benefit daily. I hope the town might consider such a project …. and at the VERY LEAST, take this opportunity to install additional underground conduit to allow for the future addition of EV Charging.
I agree, Leo. That is a great idea. The library lot is a perfect opportunity for those who want to charge while they are visiting this busy public space, thus reducing emissions in the core of our community. Let’s make it easier for our residents to live sustainably. Its easy to provide the conduit now. I hope the planners will consider this. It’s much cheaper to plan for it now than to rip everything up later.
Leo – great idea! The Salata Institute just released a report predicting EVs will be 38% of new car sales by 2030…they are expected to hit road parity prior to that. EVs are dropping in price and are clearly where the LDV market is moving, in spite of non favorable near term federal policy. Makes sense to invest in the supporting infrastructure and the Center School lot would be a great spot for it.
Hopefully plans are underway to improve lighting in the Park Street lot. With one of the light poles removed to create additional parking, the lot is now pitch black at night, a clear safety concern for anyone walking to or from their car.
Why should EV charging stations, which are an eyesore, be funded by taxpayer dollars. This would also create more unnecessary traffic in and out of the lot, perhaps waiting lines. The intent here is for better, safer library parking facilities, not charging stations to benefit the few and those who have a commercial interest .
It has been my experience that depending on library events and/or times of the day, it may be difficult, if not impossible, to find a parking place in their lot. After circling the parking lot multiple times I sometimes “give up” and leave.
The parking lot can become congested, not only from the steady flow of vehicles, but from walkers who exit their vehicles and must walk through the lot to reach the sidewalk: young families/nannies with young children and toddlers; elderly patrons with mobility issues, teens, out-of-towners, etc. It is a busy parking lot!
My family owns 3 vehicles that are not EV. By installing EV Charging spots, the library would take away parking places from patrons who are not charging EV vehicles.
Under Connecticut Statute, a non-EV vehicle cannot park in a EV Charging spot nor can an EV vehicle park unless actively charging.
• Under Connecticut General Statutes § 16-19eee and § 16-19ggg, you cannot park a motor vehicle in a space with a public electric vehicle charger unless the vehicle is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or battery electric vehicle (BEV). A violation is classified as a traffic infraction.
• Active Charging Requirement: Simply driving an EV may not be enough to exempt you in all contexts; rules and specific statutes often require that the vehicle is actively plugged in and in the process of charging during posted or allowed time limits. Station owners may also set enforce time limits.