RECOMMENDATION:
That the report entitled, “Street Light
Selection Criteria for Alternative Street Lighting on Public Right of Ways”,
dated February 7, 2006 be received;
That the “Street Light Selection Criteria” be
endorsed as the guideline for the consideration of alternative street light fixtures
and poles in the Town of Markham.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this report is to bring forward “Street
Lighting Selection Criteria” by which proposals for alternative light fixtures
and poles in new communities will be screened, prior to approval by Town Staff.
BACKGROUND:
The need to establish a process for the selection and approval of
alternative light fixtures and poles in the Town of Markham
The Town of Markham “Engineering standards” endorse a defined range of street
light fixture and pole styles for implementation in public right of ways. In the recent past, alternative style street
light fixtures and poles have been approved for use in special areas such as
Heritage Districts and Markham Centre. In the early stages of development of “OPA
5” communities such as Angus Glen, Wismer, Berzcy, Greensborough and Cornell, the
“Carriage Style” light fixture and pole was introduced. This alternative style fixture and pole has now
become a “standard” in new urban areas of Markham. To date, the Town of Markham has approximately eight types of street light
standards in place. This requires coordination
between the Town and our current maintenance provider (Power Stream) to stock
replacement parts for all eight models.
Proposals for the use of
alternative style street light fixtures and poles often are initiated by
developers during the “Community Design Plan” stage of
new community development. In recent months, a request has been received from
the owner of “Cathedraltown” to install alternative style light fixtures and
poles. In responding to this and future requests, it has become apparent that a
process is necessary to guide Urban Design, Asset
Management and Engineering Departments in the selection of these alternative
fixtures and to minimize the need to stock multiple replacement parts.
Urban Design Objectives
It is the objective of the Urban Design Group to reinforce and enhance new and existing streetscapes in the
Town of Markham. Street
lighting, decorative paving and street tree planting are primary methods of
enhancement in the public realm. There is a need to expand our existing
portfolio of street light fixtures and poles in order to respond to the needs
of individual communities while respecting the operational aspects of
maintaining numerous model types. It
also has become apparent that a Town wide process and set of “criteria” is
required. In this regard, a set of criteria has been drafted, together with the
Asset Management and Engineering Departments, which will guide the selection of
appropriate light fixtures and poles.
DISCUSSION
The Owner of “Cathedraltown” is seeking Council approval for two alternative
light fixtures and poles
The owner of “Cathedraltown” is
committed to the delivery of a community with an innovative concept, which
incorporates elements of historical urban planning and design to create a distinct,
vibrant community. It is the intent that the community will resemble a
traditional European Cathedral Town. It is the
owner’s desire to support this vision through all aspects of design and
construction. The two light fixtures
proposed are historically based and the designs are reminiscent of fixtures
existing in European Cathedral Towns.
The
Proposed Street Lighting Selection Criteria
The following street light criterion was
established with consideration of the interests of the Town’s Engineering,
Urban Design and Asset Management Departments. It is intended that the criteria will
be applied by Town staff to endorse or deny developer proposals for alternative
lighting/pole selections within Town owned rights of way.
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1. Financial Requirements
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Yes/No
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a) The proposed light fixture/pole is available from
2 or more sources.
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b) The cost of the light fixture/pole is consistent
with approved fixtures/poles in the Town.
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2. Location Requirements
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c) The proposed location/community is a designated
heritage district. OR
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The community centre is based on “New Urbanist
Planning Principals”
(eg. Markham Centre, Cornell
Centre, Milliken Mills Main Street, Yonge Street, Greensborough Town Centre). OR
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The proposed location/community is focused on a
unique regional feature or acts as a community focus.
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3. Lighting Plan
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d) The proposed
design of the light fixture and pole are acceptable to the Urban Design, Engineering and
Capital Asset Departments.
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e) A detailed
lighting plan/design has been approved by the Urban Design, Engineering and
Capital Asset Departments as part of the Engineering submission. The plan should provide details and
specifications for the light fixtures and poles. The lighting plan shall be stamped and certified
by a lighting professional.
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f) The
proposed light fixture and pole manufacturers are acceptable to the Town
Urban Design, Engineering and Capital Asset Departments.
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g) The applicant shall enter into a
subdivision/development agreement and shall agree to provide a Certification
of compliance stating that the installation complies with the original lighting
design and the Town’s performance
standards.
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4. Environmental Considerations
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f) Light
fixture illumination levels shall satisfy Town, IESNA (Illuminating
Engineering Society of North America) and the manufacturer industry
standards.
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g) In order
to achieve “Dark Sky” compliance, the light fixture must be less than a 3.5%
up-light factor.
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h) The energy
consumption of proposed light fixtures must meet Town standards.
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5. Functional Considerations/Long term
maintenance
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i) Five (5)% of the cost of the original placements shall
be paid to the Town for future replacement or repair.
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j) The
lighting fixture and replacement parts are distributed and readily available
in G.T.A.
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Street Light Selection Criteria
The proposed light fixture must satisfy all listed
criteria
Financial Requirements
In order to ensure the cost of the proposed
lights/poles remains competitive they must be available from two or more
suppliers. The cost of the proposed fixtures/poles shall be consistent with
cost of existing lighting fixtures/poles within the Town. The developer shall be required to pay to the
Town five percent (5 %) of the cost of the original street light/pole
placements for the cost of future replacements and maintenance by the Town.
Location Requirements
It is the intent of the criteria to permit
alternate styles of light fixtures and poles in select areas of the Town. The
Urban Design, Asset Management and Engineering Departments support the idea of
introducing new light fixtures and poles into communities in order to support
and create unique identities.
Lighting Plan
The request for usage of alternative light
fixtures/poles shall be initiated at the time of the Community Design Plan process. The request shall be in writing to the
Commissioner of Development Services and shall be subject to the application of
the above criteria. Upon approval of alternative Street lighting, the design
and layout will be identified on the Composite Utility Plans which form part of
the engineering submission to be approved prior to the execution of the subdivision
agreement. The light fixture/pole
details and specifications shall be submitted for approval as part of this
submission.
Environmental Considerations
The Town Operations and Asset Management
Department recommended in a report to General Committee on May 24, 2005 that
the “Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) Standards be
adopted for town-wide lighting design.
These standards are being used by the Town’s Engineering and Operations
& Asset Management departments. The IESNA Standards are the most recognized
and are used by almost all municipalities throughout Ontario, Canada and
the United States. The standards outline quantity and quality requirements for
illumination which include light pollution goals, objectives and design
requirements.
Functional Considerations
The proposed light standards/poles must be
available through two manufacturers or suppliers. Sample light fixtures and poles are required
to be set up for review and comparison by Town staff. The proposed fixtures and poles must look the
same and must be interchangeable within the desired streetscape. The light
fixture replacement parts which are most commonly repaired, such as, the
ballast and the bulb must be consistent with components that are widely
utilized in other existing light fixtures within the Town.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
The Street Lighting Selection Criteria includes
financial considerations.
ENVIRONMENTAL
CONSIDERATIONS:
The Street Lighting Selection Criteria includes
environmental considerations.
ACCESSIBILITY
CONSIDERATIONS:
There are no concerns relative to
accessibility.
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
The Community Services Commission, Asset
Management Department and the Engineering Department have been consulted in the
preparation of this report.
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Valerie Shuttleworth, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Director of Planning & Urban Design
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Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Commissioner of Development Services
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