[AZ-Observing] Re: A little history of Phoenix area lighting ordinances

Dr. Crawford's involvement (in the 1908s) stemmed from his professional
association with the project to establish the Mt. Graham International
Observatory.  He stated at the time that if there were no comprehensive
lighting ordinances passed in Arizona, that there would be no Mt. Graham
Observatory.  Period.

Dr. Crawford is a highly respected, experienced astronomer, with a long
career and expertise in the area of photometry standards, etc.  (He
continued Johnson's pioneering work in that area, extending his work at
Kitt Peak, even using some of the same standard filters and equipment.)

During that time period, some members of SAC played a small part in
getting the Maricopa County lighting ordinances passed, as a prelude to
achieving passage of lighting ordinances in Phoenix and the surrounding
communities.  At the time, it was felt that the Maricopa County
ordinance was key to getting ordinances passed in the remaining parts of
the state.  (Paradise Valley, Flagstaff, and Tucson already had lighting
ordinances.)

At a SAC meeting (ca. 1985), speaking on the subject of light pollution
and the International Dark Sky Association, which he co-founded with Dr.
Tim Hunter of Tucson, Dr. Crawford mentioned that he needed more
information on the effects of commercial lighting, and had been
attempting to get a nighttime ride with one of the agencies that flew
helicopters over the Phoenix metro area -- the police and news stations
-- with no success.  Peter Manly and I mentioned this to our friend and
fellow SAC member, Leroy Paller, who is a private pilot and had his own
airplane.  With Paller's cooperation, we volunteered to fly over the
city at night and videotape "Automobile Row" -- the car dealership lots
along East Camelback Rd. -- and some of the billboards around Phoenix,
to determine just how severe the lighting effects were from above. 
Paller piloted the 4-seat aircraft, while Manly operated the camera and
I ran the videotape recorder.  This nighttime lighting survey videotape
was then turned over to Dr. Crawford, with the result that he was able
to go into meetings with the two principal groups objecting to the
proposed ordinances -- the car dealerships and the outdoor advertising
concerns -- and affected a compromise so that the ordinances were
passed. Crawford refers to this type of arrangement as a "Win-Win"
strategy, which has been key to the success of IDA and the other
agencies in getting the various municipalities to adopt effective
lighting ordinances.

As I stated recently at an EVAC meeting, we later had the opportunity to
present our views on light pollution to the Phoenix Mayor and other
officials during the Halley's Comet star parties -- demonstrating the
ability to read a newspaper on the top of South Mountain by the wasted
light from Phoenix streetlights (1,000 ft below).  Phoenix (and the
other surrounding communities) subsequently bought the various city
street lighting plants and have put in place more efficient forms of
lighting.

I can't directly comment on the situation occurring in Prescott Valley,
but will only add my personal observation that evidently Yavapai County
has been somewhat lax in enforcing the lighting ordinances that are on
the books there.

Gene Lucas
(17250)


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