BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Residents in Buffalo's Elmwood Village said a recent change to street lighting is changing the look and feel of their neighborhood.
National Grid is replacing older, yellow-toned streetlights with brighter white LED luminaires. While the upgrade is meant to be eco-friendly, some longtime residents said the new lights are too harsh.
Bill Altreuter, a longtime Elmwood Village resident, said the beauty of his neighborhood clashes with the brightness that he now sees out his front door.
"There are a lot of things to love about the Elmwood Village," Altreuter said. "First of all, it's walkable and friendly, but it's also beautiful, and the aesthetics of it are really so important to my wife and I."
WATCH: Elmwood Village residents say new LED streetlights are too harsh for neighborhood
"It's sort of jarring to have that kind of brightness," Altreuter said. "It has almost a clinical appearance and it's unpleasant and it really doesn't match the overall aesthetics of the neighborhood."
The new replacement lighting creates a stark contrast with the traditional streetlights that have long illuminated the area. Altreuter said the change "detracts from the overall pleasant experience of walking down the street in our very walkable neighborhood."
He's not alone in his concerns. An Elmwood Village Facebook group is filled with similar complaints from residents.
Both National Grid and Councilmember David Rivera, whose Niagara District includes the Elmwood Village, explained that the new lights are eco-friendly and cheaper for the city. But Rivera said he understands neighbors' concerns.
"Certainly, I'd be amenable to working with the neighbors if they like the more quaint, warmer lights and if National Grid can provide the warmer lights and that's what they want. I would ask them to do it," Rivera said.
Options could include adjusting brightness or shielding the lights.
"We would ask if they can lower the wattage, make them less bright, less glaring," Rivera said. "But then you do lose some light. We ask, can they shield the lights to make sure that it's not spreading out?"
For now, residents are encouraged to speak up by calling the city's 311 hotline.
Altreuter believes there should have been more community input before the changes were made.
"Is there a compromise? Sure. Don't get it wrong in the first place and don't do things in a way that doesn't include the people who live in this neighborhood," Altreuter said.
Rivera said officials will work to find a solution.
"We'll work with Public Works and National Grid to address the concerns that people have, and hopefully we'll find a common ground," Rivera said.
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