Cutline On Wednesday, public comments from Mary Ann Maniace, standing, and Bernadette Powers on new streetlights in Olde Marco prompted the Beautification Advisory Committee to add street lighting to its Feb. 1 agenda. Cheryl Ferrara / Eagle Correspondent
These lantern style lights on Bald Eagle Drive between Collier Boulevard and Barfield Drive are preferred by residents of Olde Marco who say the ones they are getting are too industrial for the area. Cheryl Ferrara / Eagle Correspondent
Residents on Bald Eagle Drive north of Barfield Drive are angry about streetlights they say belong in a Wal-Mart parking lot rather than leading up to the entrance of historic Olde Marco. Cheryl Ferrara / Eagle Correspondent
More than 350 residents signed a petition to be delivered to Marco Island City Council on Monday. Their message will be that streetlights installed on Bald Eagle Drive from Angler’s Cove to Olde Marco are just wrong.
“The lights are too big, too tall and too industrial for the esthetics of Olde Marco,” said Mary Ann Maniace, who is spearheading a campaign to have them removed.
Maniace and Bernadette Powers made their case before the Beautification Advisory Committee on Wednesday. They outlined their mission to have the lights removed and replaced with ones more suited for the area.
“We want to stop any more of these hideous green things, these runway lights from being installed,” Maniace told the committee. “We need to have a plan and something everyone can agree upon.”
Barbara Murphy, beautification committee chairwoman, agreed to add the issue to the committee’s Feb. 1 agenda.
“This is part of streetscape,” she said. “This is what we’re all about, and this is part of community.”
Maniace and Powers met with the city manager and Tim Pinter, public works director, prior to attending the beautification committee meeting. They also contacted city councilors to plead for time to consider changes before all streetlights are installed.
Pinter told the women the city could suffer financial damages imposed by the contractor if it delayed the project. On Wednesday, he said the city will complete the project and then consider if changes should be made.
Maniace and Powers accused the city of not having an overall plan for street lighting. As proof, they cited the mix of lantern style streetlights and the taller pole lights on Bald Eagle Drive.
City Councilor Wayne Waldack responded via e-mail to Maniace and Powers writing he would be pleased if eventually all light fixtures in the city were the same to preserve consistency and serve an aesthetic purpose.
“We have plans for everything else from bench styles to signage, but street lighting appears to be a hodgepodge with no consistency,” Maniace said. She also asked why neither the beautification committee nor the public were allowed to give input into the design prior to installation.
City Council reviewed street lighting for Bald Eagle Drive at two public meetings held June 7 and 21. On July 19, council was presented depictions of the actual poles, fixture heads and color for the lights and approved their installation 7-0. Pinter said the public was allowed to comment at all three meetings.
“Some people (and business representatives) did comment including Rose Marina,” he said. Streetlights became an issue after two deaths from vehicular accidents in the area.
Once the poles were installed, their height and character offended those who live nearby.
Pinter agreed the 26 poles already installed stand out because there are no tall trees in the area. He believed in the Olde Marco section, the poles would integrate with trees and be less obvious.
“We do want lights. I do a lot of walking,” said Powers. She would like to see the same style lights as those on Collier Boulevard that would blend with Olde Marco’s historic nature and illuminate both sidewalk and street.
The women were frustrated when they received an e-mail from City Councilor Chuck Kiester who suggested money was the issue.
“The days of opulence for Collier Blvd. are over,” he wrote.
Pinter agreed that cost was a factor in choosing the pole lights over the lantern style.
“The concrete poles on Collier cost between $4,500 and $5,000 each,” he said. “The two piece aluminum pole bolted above the ground costs about $2,000.”
Maniace and Powers researched the less expensive poles and questioned whether they would measure up to Miami-Dade hurricane standards.
“We would not put up anything that could not withstand a Category 5 storm,” Pinter said.
The next stop for Maniace and Powers is city council’s regularly scheduled meeting on Monday. They are asking residents to wear red shirts to the meeting if they support changing the lights. City council meets at 5:30 p.m. in the community room, 51 Bald Eagle Drive.
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Comments » 15
TheRealTruth writes:
Wow, how ungrateful can you people be??? Apparently these residents have entirely too much time on their hands and feel entitled to complain about street lights! I personally think they look great. Where does the committee plan to come up with the money to replace them? How about be thankful that your concerns for lighting was addressed. Perhaps the money you are all willing to waste on lighting could be better spent on fixing some of the awful roads that desperately need paving.
BeenThereHereNow writes:
I believe there were public meetings, to give input in regards to these street lights. Hmmmm...is even stated in this article. Ladies....get a life. Marco Island hasn't had "ambiance"...for some time now. It has however pretty much lived up to what it always has been...just kept hidden...bunch of wanna be's, keeping their dirty laundry secret, paying off whomever, for their crimes and putting on one heck of a BS act.
KlausStoertebeker writes:
"I personally think they look great."
Taste is not in anybodies gene. I hope I have never seen your lady. Olive's bride of Popeye?
comment writes:
You people on this "Island" are crazy. They are lights!!!! Is this life threatening? NO!!!! Why don't all you people complaining go out and volunteer your time put your energy to good use, instead of complaing about something that is so extremely ridiculous Get lives and grow up. Once again, it is not life threatenting.
KlausStoertebeker writes:
No problem! Bring Marco Island on Detroit level: Ugly and miserable. American standard.
Throat_Yogurt writes:
Don't live on that part of the island, but they do look chitty.
They should have single theme for the lights on the island like they do all the way down Collier Blvd.
Cant really see why they would put those massive lights up. As dumb as the speed limit being changed for 36 hours...that went over well
WizeOlMarco writes:
The ladies and petitioners are correct, the new tall lights are not in character with the Olde Marco neighborhood. The story implies that the tall light style was publically discussed...if so, why were any 2-lantern shorter lights installed along Bald Eagle? The City is misleading the residents; the public meeting was about the need for lights, not the style of lights. Travel through the Olde Marco District and observe, you may find that the 350 residents proposal is reasonable. Have the City move the shorter lights from where they exist to the Olde Marco neighborhood; by the comments here, shouldn't matter to the rest of the Marco Island community.
1Paradiselost writes:
The light poles are way too close to the road. In some cases only 1 foot from the pavement. The poles should have been installed halfway between the sidewalk and the road. That way the sidewalks could also see some light, and the drunks won't knock them down. The tall lights are just plain ugly and look cheep! They look like the lights on interstate I-75 only painted green!
marcofriend writes:
What is apparent is the apathy of the people on the island until it is much to late to do anything about it. Where were all the people when they put those very expensive light poles and lights down Collier every 50 feet instead of some reasonable distance. The Collier project cost us $38 million. Had we spaced those fancy lights a little further apart (which was suggested at the time), we'd have nice lights going in where needed on the island, such as on Bald Eagle in Old Marco. Now the City is so far in debt, you get what they can afford and for now it appears to be the Walmart variety of lights for you.
People need to follow the issues, read the City Council Agenda's and show up for meetings and let their voices be heard for all issues.
Good luck trying to throw out the $2500 lights and repurchase $5000 lights along with holding up a Contractor, who will be charging us while you argue your case.
OldMarcoMan writes:
Eat Dinner the other night at Gino's (Delicious as usual) and took a good look at those lights.
I hope we got a really good deal on those because they are the same ones I saw used in an Industrial Park near Tampa.
Do we really want to use Industrial Lighting in our Historic District?
Pinch a Penny to loose a Dollar?
KlausStoertebeker writes:
I am agree with you. Gino is one of the best on Marco Island. I am his guest from the beginning on.
But the lights north of Barfield on Bald Eagle are so ugly like the city council with Waldi and Gibbon. A Detroit style. Nothing else. People with no taste made stupid decisions. Marco Island class. No class.
26yearsonmarco writes:
Did anyone ever consider moving the new lights that were turned off on Collier Blvd from Smokehouse to San Marco to Bald Eagle???
mrz333 writes:
We all have an interest in this because it involves the tax $$ of everyone on the island. The lights in question are better than the ones we have. Let's change them all! DUH! There's a lot more character busting structures in that area (now better lit up by the new lights!) Since it's our money, how else would you like to upgrade YOUR neighborhood as we all have pretty deep pockets here. Would you like us to hire someone to cut your lawn?
marco97 writes:
26Years, I suggested that a month or two ago when the fist article came out, makes too much sense for Marco to move the unused lights plus someones relative will not make money selling new lights to the City.
WizeOlMarco writes:
Thank you residents Mary Ann Maniace and Bernadette Powers for taking on this issue. American Democracy at its best.
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