A recent news release from Lewis County highlighting a new “light pollution” policy drew hundreds of negative responses on social media as one county commissioner condemned the rollout and separated himself from the issue.
Lewis County announced on Monday a list of new regulations on outdoor lighting in the rural areas of the county.
The announcement pointed out changes to county code that are intended to “limit the impact of bright lights” on rural communities. The change “requires that exterior light fixtures be pointed downward and shielded to reduce glare and light from spilling onto neighboring properties,” according to the news release.
The county quickly removed the notice from its Facebook page after arguments in the comments and a post on the personal Facebook page of Lewis County Commissioner Sean Swope, who stated the county would not act as the “light police.”
The news release originally posted by the county on the social media platform stated that an update to county code was meant to balance using lighting for safety with limiting glare and light spillover.
“Rural areas tend to have fewer structures and less need for lighting than is seen in urban areas and cities,” the announcement stated. “This allows people to enjoy less light pollution and see the night sky. Over the years, LED lighting has become brighter and less expensive, resulting in more exterior lights on houses, shops and barns. While lighting is important for safety, when the lights are very bright and pointed outward, light can impact the community. The change to county code is intended to allow people to continue to use bright lighting if it is pointed down and shielded to keep the light targeted away from neighboring properties. ”
The news release also came with a group of lighting examples that showed ways to keep outdoor lighting while limiting its intrusion on neighboring areas using clever placement and shields to keep light directed at the ground.
“People living in the county expect a lifestyle where they can enjoy their property without intrusion,” Lewis County Commissioner Lindsey Pollock stated in the release. “Part of that rural lifestyle is the absence of light pollution and the ability to enjoy looking at the stars while sitting around a campfire.”
The release was met with a negative response from community members active on Facebook, most notably under a Chronicle post that was not deleted after the county’s announcement. Soon after its release, Commissioner Sean Swope also posted his own response to the statement from the county, coming out fervently against the regulations.
In his post, Swope stated that he did not approve of the county’s news release despite his name appearing on the document. He said he was out of the office in the weeks leading up to the announcement due to illness.
“I’ve been out of the office sick for the last three weeks, and today was my first day back,” Swope wrote. “The first time I even saw this press release was on my own Facebook feed, just like many of you … If you want lights on your property, use them. It’s your land. Just be a good neighbor in the process.”
In the post, Swope urged residents to disregard the new rules if they felt they impeded on their ability to light their property for safety.
He then went on to insist that the new code was an example of a state green energy code. The commissioner also claimed the county was not interested in regulating light pollution, commenting that he would “fight the nonsense every step of the way.”
