Rehoboth soliciting comment on new light fixtures

In advance of installing new light fixtures on Rehoboth Avenue and the Boardwalk, Rehoboth Beach officials are soliciting comments on the type of fixture that should be installed.

There are examples on the south end of the Boardwalk, and near the library and Sunny Bay Cafe, said Public Works Director Henry Matlosz during a commissioner meeting March 20. 

The city has been working on retrofitting its streetlights for years. Last fall, the city completed the retrofit of the streetlights in the median of Rehoboth Avenue. There were 33 doubles and four singles.

Matlosz said about two weeks ago, two light fixtures were installed on the Boardwalk, each with 4000 kelvin and without glass. The light on those shines down and will not shine horizontal, he said.

The two examples on Rehoboth Avenue are 3000 kelvin, one with a frosted lens and one without, said Matlosz. There will be two more examples installed soon on the Boardwalk and two more on Rehoboth Avenue, he said.

The plan is to install all the fixtures in October or November, with both projects happening at the same time, said Matlosz. It would be nice to use the same fixtures for both consistency and maintenance, he said.

Commissioner Craig Thier, who lives near the south end of the Boardwalk, said from a distance the examples without any glass looked great, especially compared to the old ones. However, he said, when a person is under them, it looks like daylight.

Frosted lights might be better, especially on the Boardwalk, said Thier, adding that it might be good to think about dimming them down at certain times of night.

Following the meeting, Matlosz said there are about 180 lights – about 70 on the Boardwalk and about 110 on Rehoboth Avenue. The city has budgeted $550,000 for both projects. An $80,000 energy efficiency grant was received for the Rehoboth Avenue portion, he said.

The city hasn’t yet decided how long it will be asking for comments, said Matlosz. Once the 3000-kelvin fixtures are delivered, he would like to get input from several residents, commissioners and the city’s environmental committee.

It will take about two months for the fixtures to be delivered once the city decides what it will go with, formalizes the bid package and puts it out to bid, said Matlosz. The vendor performing the installation will purchase the fixtures, he said.

There’s been a movement by some residents for the city to install dark sky-compliant fixtures, which reduce light pollution by directing light downward.

Some of the examples are compliant while others are not, said Matlosz.