Long Beach : Assessment District Formed for Street Light Conversion
Downtown Long Beach’s dream of bright lights moved closer to reality Tuesday as City Council members approved the creation of an assessment district to fund conversion of the city’s much-maligned yellow street lights to high-pressure sodium lights that are white.
Installed throughout Long Beach more than a decade ago, the energy saving low-pressure sodium lights have been particularly unpopular downtown, where merchants complain that the lights’ murky glow makes people feel unsafe.
“We’re coming out of the darkness,” Councilman Ray Grabinski said.
The assessment district will levy taxes on residents and businesses in the downtown area to cover the $650,000 cost of converting the 1,384 street lights located within the district.
“The people overwhelmingly support this assessment,” said Councilman Evan Anderson Braude, who represents downtown.
The T-shaped assessment district’s primary borders are Ocean Boulevard, 3rd Street, Alamitos Avenue and the Los Angeles River, with a section continuing north to 10th Street between Long Beach Boulevard and Pacific Avenue.
The conversion is expected to be completed by Christmas.
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