The implementation plan of Breckenridge’s dark sky legislation represents the most absurd thinking I’ve encountered in my 79 years of living. 

Homes in Breckenridge are capped at 35 ft in height. Since when do migrating birds fly that low? I like birds and feed them all year. I pay attention to their habits, and I’ve never seen even one fall out of the sky. If I had, I would be wearing a hard hat for protection. Furthermore, I have extensive wildflowers in my yard, and I haven’t noticed any difference in their appearance when the front porch light is turned on or off. In addition, the bees seem to still like the flowers more than the hummingbird feeder.   

It is true that Breckenridge’s street light shining into my bedroom window bothers my sleep. However, closing the drapes at night isn’t too much of an imposition, and it has the bonus of shielding out bright moonlight.  

The Town is wasting my tax dollars by sending out its employees to take pics of lights in every part of town and then sending violation warnings. Not to mention the town’s $3.6 million estimated cost of replacing street lights. 

The electrical contractors in Breckenridge will certainly be getting a windfall — I’m guessing my estimate will be close to $4,000. This is on top of my 55% property tax increase this year, which was based on artificially high, spiked housing prices just before the short-term rental limitations went into effect in 2022.

Just because Aspen and Vail are doing this doesn’t mean that we should emulate them. Maybe I should start a “Leave our Lights Alone” movement and start disrupting Town Council meetings until at least one of its members uses common sense in moving towards dark sky objectives in a less disruptive manner.