TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Suncoast Pinellas News

Palm Harbor Downtown Might Go Solar

ADVERTISEMENT

By Mark  Schantz | The Suncoast News

Published: March 15, 2008

PALM HARBOR, Fla. - PALM HARBOR, Fla. - Could Florida Avenue, the heart of this unincorporated community's historic downtown district, someday be illuminated using street lamps powered by solar energy?

Robin Husbands-Cauchi, manager of Old Palm Harbor Main Street, hopes so.

She decided to research solar-power street lights because it has taken too long to get the standard variety installed.

Husbands-Cauchi was also inspired by seeing a small dog that had been struck and killed on a darkened street.

"When I saw that little dog lying there in the street I knew I had to do something," she said. "It gets very dark on Florida Avenue at night."

She has also heard tales of crash near-misses on dark streets involving vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians.

Over the years property owners along Florida Avenue bandied about the idea of forming a street lighting district to pay for conventional street lights and their ongoing electric bill.

The county requires at least 60 percent of property owners along a street to agree to form a lighting district before any action can be taken. At one time the county even acquired grant to pay for light poles, but property owners never met the required deadline.

Husbands-Cauchi said she has spoken with an architect who thinks Main Street could use solar-powered street lights. Solar panels could be used to charge a small battery on each light pole. As an alternative, a solar panel array could be strategically placed at Harbor Hall, the community building on Georgia Avenue, and distributed to the street lights.

Sensors would automatically turn on the street lights at dusk and off at dawn.

Such a set-up could serve as a model for governments that want to be environmentally conscious, Husbands-Cauchi said.

Since the solar street lights wouldn't use power from an electric utility, there would be no need to create a lighting district to pay electric bills, Husbands-Cauchi said.

Husbands-Cauchi said the solar street light idea is in the tentative talking stage. More research has to be done on the feasibility of the plan before she presents it to the Old Palm Harbor Main Street board and Pinellas County officials.

Lesley Klein, owner of Oak Trail Books and an Old Palm Harbor Main Street board member, said she likes the idea of trying to utilize solar power. It could be eligible for grant funding and serve as a model for other areas, she said.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT