Homeowners seek bylaw enforcement to fix bright lights in Wellington
Administrator | Sep 30, 2016 | Comments 8
A view from the back of Pluzak’s home showing both side yards lit up, as well as the sides her neighbor’s house. She notes her front blinds are closed, but the blinds to the rear sliding door are open to show the lit area in the middle of her home from the intense lighting. Photo by Karen Pluzak
Excessive lighting from two new businesses in Wellington brought complaints from home owners across the street to the County’s Committee of the Whole meeting Thursday.
Karen Pluzak, who has lived on Main Street in Wellington since 2000, seeks enforcement from the nuisance, property standards and signage bylaws “to stop the light trespass and the sky glow on my property and into my house and neighbours” from 16 lights shining for 18 hours a day on and around the Tim Hortons and MacEwen gas bar.
“The lights trespass onto my property and light up my back yard and the inside of my house every night, all evening long and on a few occasions, all night long,” said Pluzak in her deputation. “I made my first complaint in April.”
Her neighbour Chris Bowles also complained and addressed the committee, sharing photographs of how the light affects the homes. Photograph examples showed how the light spilled onto their property and of how the lights, plus vehicle headlights, flash into their homes.
“As you can see, the front blinds are ineffective to the strong intensive lights… the blinds in my bedroom are just as ineffective. I have lost much sleep this past summer. I have been woken up many times by the 5 a.m. lights going on.
The complaints are being investigated by the bylaw office.
Filed Under: Local News
Most plants grow fine with 24 hour lighting.
Plants require rest as well. 24 hrs light is not natural.
Hockeynan- I couldn’t have said it better myself.
I feel sorry for these people and wouldn’t want that problem either,but if you are going to complain be realistic, 18 hours a day is a bit much and with the neighbor complaining on guinte news that the excess light killed a tree and two shrubs come on now. Don’t suppose it was the drought
hockeynan – always a sympathetic ear!
I feel badly for the homeowners – what an intrusion of privacy and comfort. This kind of basic planning and design mistake should not be happening. If the County truly wants to attract more development and business, then they need to hire the right people with the expertise to head off these kinds of problems before they happen. This situation is not good for business, but even more so, certainly not good for the people living there. So just how much is this going to cost the taxpayers? If Tim Hortons has approval for such lighting, I can’t imagine them paying for what is a municipal planning error. In this case an expensive one.
The sight plan for this development,given the location and proximity to the houses, should have specified “directed” lighting only. That kind of lighting has been around at least 10 yrs. You see it in most parking lots Planning department dropped the ball on this.
Lights on 18 hours a day wow.only have daylight in Wellington for 6 hours a day.come on guys