Overcoming Barriers to Implement Sustainable Street Lighting While Using Another Project's Mitigation Measures in North Park San Diego

摘要

When a master planned community's mitigation measures required implementation in an adjacent community, that community weighed in as to how those measures would actually be put in place. A community-driven design took more than two years to take shape at monthly public community planning group meetings (many of which included the developer and some of which included City staff). The community applied many sustainability principles in the project design, including multi-modal connectivity between communities. The installation of pedestrian-scale lighting was one of the most prominent and community-advocated project features. The implementation of the project's pedestrian-scale acorn lights became a challenge when City maintenance was not available due to a technicality in the City's maintenance contracting (i.e. the acorn lights were deemed an ornamental feature and not a City standard). Also, the street's location was outside of the nearest Maintenance Assessment District (MAD) boundary. Therefore, the City requested that the project proponent install the cold and unsophisticated looking standard "cobra" style light fixtures ubiquitous in today's urban landscape. The community was persistent, and the developer was patient enough to successfully navigate through the City's complicated planning, design, and permitting process. Ultimately, the resilient neighborhood triumphed and got the acorn style lights installed using a creative maintenance financing mechanism, and thus maintaining the neighborhood's civil and aesthetic pride.