Milton ad hoc committee makes lighting recommendations

A Milton ad hoc committee has come up with a proposal to install lights along the Rails to Trails extension between Federal Street and Lavinia Street. 

The committee’s plan, which will be discussed by Milton Town Council during its meeting at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 4, breaks the lighting down into three segments. 

From Federal Street to the trestle bridge, the committee recommends installing four lights, supplied by Delmarva Power, consisting of three GranVille-style, acorn-shaped lights, and one shoebox-style light. The first light would be 80 feet from the trail entrance, with other lights placed 150 to 176 feet apart. The shoebox fixture would be closest to the bridge and would include additional shielding to keep the light from shining too much in the direction of homes in Wagamon’s West Shores.

At the little hill where the trail splits, the committee calls for five lights – four GranVille and one shoebox – again supplied by Delmarva Power. The shoebox fixture would be closest to the bridge followed by three GranVille lights between 136 and 160 feet apart. The last GranVille light would be across West Shore Drive in front of the trail entrance. The fixture would be shielded to cut down on the amount of light shining toward nearby homes. 

Finally, from the little hill to the end of the trail on Lavinia Street, there would be a series of bollard lights, which are low to the ground and can be shined directionally. The lights would be positioned to shine downward toward the trail and shielded to prevent light behind and skyward. While a specific number is not called for, the bollard lights would be 60 feet apart and no higher than four feet tall.

The bollard lights would be contracted out, not provided by Delmarva Power. The contractor would be responsible for installing the conduits, supplying the lights and installing all the lights in all three trail segments. The committee recommended Delmarva Power install the three connection boxes for the lights in existing utility easements. 

The committee recommended having one contractor perform the work on all three segments in order to expedite project completion. The $195,000 project is being funded 50/50 by the town and by a grant from the state, with each side contributing $97,500. However, the state funding comes with a timeline by which the project must be completed, leading the committee to avoid bidding out the project piece-by-piece or having the town supply the lights. 

The committee was formed by town council in mid-November to discuss and come up with recommendations on a lighting plan for the trail. The idea of lighting the trail has been under discussion for nearly two years, with the town wanting to install lights in order to improve pedestrian safety and residents in Wagamon’s West Shores opposing because, in their view, lighting would encourage 24/7 use of the trail and diminish their quality of life. With the town under the gun to use the state funding, the committee was formed to work out a compromise.

The committee, chaired by Councilman Sam Garde and including Councilwoman Randi Meredith, Police Chief Derrick Harvey, board of adjustment member Walt Tydings, historic preservation committee member Lee Revis-Plank and Wagamon’s West Shores residents Miklos Mathe and Steven Callahan, met four times between Nov. 30 and Dec. 23 to develop the plan.