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BRECKENRIDGE - A velvety black canopy sprinkled with dazzling starlight is as much of a High Country amenity as fresh powder snow or fields of wildflowers. For some people, enjoyment of that sky is not just an amenity but a God-given right. And now, the Breckenridge Town Council is close to taking steps that should help preserve the integrity of the night sky for generations to come.
After some preliminary discussions, the town's elected officials are close to reaching consensus on adopting a new style of downcast street lighting for residential areas outside the town's core. The idea is to cut down on extraneous upward and sideways glare that impairs views of the night sky. Council members are slated to get a look at some of the options for the new lights next Tuesday at the regular town council meeting.
"We're trying to settle on a style with no upward glare," said Mayor Ernie Blake. "We're going to have some to look at. I think everyone is getting in line with this. I don't think there's going to be any resistance to doing it," Blake said, advocating for preservation of dark skies in Breckenridge.
"You look up at the sky and there's a lot more than you realized was there," Blake said.
Breckenridge took a hard look at the lighting issue a few years ago, eventually opting to go with Wellsbach-style lights that fit with town's Victorian heritage. And no one is suggesting removing those fixtures from the historic area, said Dave Rossi, who addressed the lighting issue in his successful bid for a town council seat last April.
"I think Dave's made a good point," Blake said. "As we look at the outlying areas, Peak 7 and Peak 8, it's (historic-style lighting) less of a priority than what folks are coming up here for."
For Rossi, lighting is a natural resource issue nearly on par with protecting wetlands and wildlife habitat, and he says the reaction from citizens has been overwhelmingly in support of preserving as dark sky as possible. And while the final math hasn't been done yet, he's convinced the town could even save some money by adopting more energy efficient fixtures in new developments.
The situation in Breckenridge mirrors a much larger debate that has emerged in the last several years, as communities around the country seek to preserve nighttime views. Astronomers have complained for years that unneeded glare and light pollution have diminished their ability to observe the stars and planets. At the University of Denver's observatory on Mt. Evans, researchers have quantified the rapid spread of light pollution from Front Range sources and from the mountain resort communities to west of the telescope. According to Dr. Robert Stencel, director of the facility on Mt. Evans, Summit County is a major source of light pollution, even exceeding the glow from the Front Range as measured on a per capita basis.
Any steps to limit increases in glare are welcome, said Stencel, who recently spoke on the issue at a forum in Vail(http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20060716/NEWS/107160036&;SearchID=73251053228346).
Stencel and other dark sky advocates explain that, along with the preservation of celestial vistas, reducing unwanted glare can actually improve safety by reducing the incidents of temporary vision impairment that can happen when motorists suddenly pass from a brightly lit area into a dark zone.
The Breckenridge planning commission also took a look at the lighting issue Tuesday night, with a memo from town planners providing an outline for the discussion by defining "light trespass, light pollution and glare," and listing solutions ranging from bulb types to pole heights, light levels, fixture types and even hours of operation. Public education will also play a key role in addressing the issue, planners said in their memo to the commission.
Bob Berwyn can be reached at (970) 331-5996, or at bberwyn@summitdaily.com.
After some preliminary discussions, the town's elected officials are close to reaching consensus on adopting a new style of downcast street lighting for residential areas outside the town's core. The idea is to cut down on extraneous upward and sideways glare that impairs views of the night sky. Council members are slated to get a look at some of the options for the new lights next Tuesday at the regular town council meeting.
"We're trying to settle on a style with no upward glare," said Mayor Ernie Blake. "We're going to have some to look at. I think everyone is getting in line with this. I don't think there's going to be any resistance to doing it," Blake said, advocating for preservation of dark skies in Breckenridge.
"You look up at the sky and there's a lot more than you realized was there," Blake said.
Breckenridge took a hard look at the lighting issue a few years ago, eventually opting to go with Wellsbach-style lights that fit with town's Victorian heritage. And no one is suggesting removing those fixtures from the historic area, said Dave Rossi, who addressed the lighting issue in his successful bid for a town council seat last April.
"I think Dave's made a good point," Blake said. "As we look at the outlying areas, Peak 7 and Peak 8, it's (historic-style lighting) less of a priority than what folks are coming up here for."
For Rossi, lighting is a natural resource issue nearly on par with protecting wetlands and wildlife habitat, and he says the reaction from citizens has been overwhelmingly in support of preserving as dark sky as possible. And while the final math hasn't been done yet, he's convinced the town could even save some money by adopting more energy efficient fixtures in new developments.
The situation in Breckenridge mirrors a much larger debate that has emerged in the last several years, as communities around the country seek to preserve nighttime views. Astronomers have complained for years that unneeded glare and light pollution have diminished their ability to observe the stars and planets. At the University of Denver's observatory on Mt. Evans, researchers have quantified the rapid spread of light pollution from Front Range sources and from the mountain resort communities to west of the telescope. According to Dr. Robert Stencel, director of the facility on Mt. Evans, Summit County is a major source of light pollution, even exceeding the glow from the Front Range as measured on a per capita basis.
Any steps to limit increases in glare are welcome, said Stencel, who recently spoke on the issue at a forum in Vail(http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20060716/NEWS/107160036&;SearchID=73251053228346).
Stencel and other dark sky advocates explain that, along with the preservation of celestial vistas, reducing unwanted glare can actually improve safety by reducing the incidents of temporary vision impairment that can happen when motorists suddenly pass from a brightly lit area into a dark zone.
The Breckenridge planning commission also took a look at the lighting issue Tuesday night, with a memo from town planners providing an outline for the discussion by defining "light trespass, light pollution and glare," and listing solutions ranging from bulb types to pole heights, light levels, fixture types and even hours of operation. Public education will also play a key role in addressing the issue, planners said in their memo to the commission.
Bob Berwyn can be reached at (970) 331-5996, or at bberwyn@summitdaily.com.
