MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — People in Mechanicsburg are raising concerns about the brightness of new LED lights recently installed in the borough.
The concerns were first raised by Mark Grosz. “Light controls everything," said Grosz. "It’s the orchestrator of life and we need to be more cognizant of that.”
Grosz is an avid stargazer and regularly uses his telescope to take pictures of galaxies far away. However, his view of the night sky is being affected by nearby light fixtures at an elementary school.
“It was about 2017 when I noticed my skies starting to go away," said Grosz.
He is taking on the issue of light pollution as a member of the Mechanicsburg Borough’s Environmental Advisory Council. Beyond not being able to see the stars, Grosz says light pollution can impact vegetation, bird migration, and people’s sleep patterns.
He added light pollution can also pose a safety hazard.
“What we have here is houses that are lit up to the third story, but we have crosswalks that are in the dark," said Grosz. "And because your eyes are shut down as a driver, you can’t see.”
At Mechanicsburg Area High School, newly installed LED lights light up the track until 10:30 at night, as well as the backside of Jinger Rider’s home several hundred feet away.
“I’m sleeping in my dining room because the light is so strong in my house," said Rider.
She told FOX43 News that taking landscaping measures to help block the lights would cost her thousands of dollars.
“I’m looking at five to six thousand dollars at least, just to get some of my privacy back," said Rider.
The Mechanicsburg Borough is working with Grosz and PPL to launch an automated complaint form to help address the lighting issues. Grosz says lights need to be more carefully installed to limit light pollution.
“Where there are people, 3,000K (PPL's light brightness standard) should be the max," said Grosz. "And when you can, use less."
FOX43 reached out to PPL for comment about the complaints about the LED lighting in the borough, but we have not heard back as of Tuesday.
Mechanicsburg residents can visit the borough's website or call the office to submit information for PPL to dispatch crews to address any lighting concerns.