Feather Sound Community Services
District
Street Light Policy
(Approved August 17th 2004
by the FSCSD Board of Directors)
The Feather Sound Community Services District (FSCSD) has
the responsibility for maintaining certain streetlights within the Feather
Sound Community. In the interest of the public health, safety, and welfare
of the Feather Sound Community streetlights are located along certain
roads under certain conditions where such lighting achieves public
benefit.
Policy Purpose and Benefits
This policy is meant to be a guide for determining
the overall need for each request for street lighting in the community
based on factors such as, but not limited to, traffic volume, speed limit,
road conditions, accident rates, pedestrian safety, roadside parking
conditions, adjacent development patterns, number of curb cuts, and degree
of existing lighting. It is for the purpose of providing a means of
prioritizing and planning for street light improvements; to process
requests for street lights in a fair and efficient manner, and to ensure
that new street lights installed will be sited for reasons of public
health and safety based on the greatest demonstrated public need.
Streetlights are of benefit in the
reduction of personal injuries, fatalities, property damage and a variety
of other hazards.
General Guidelines
·
Consideration should be made to place lighting at all
intersections and other high pedestrian use areas.
·
Lighting should be planned to ensure adequate illumination
for safety of pedestrians, bicycles and motor vehicles.
·
Where sidewalks exist on one side of the street only,
street lighting will be placed on that side to ensure adequate
illumination for the pedestrian.
· Additional
lighting on a street with existing lighting should be similar in style and
illumination to the existing lighting.
·
FSCSD may choose to take over responsibility
for payment of streetlights, provided that they are within the taxing
district, accepted for maintenance purposes by Progress Energy and
otherwise meet the guidelines of this policy.
·
Lighting of privately owned roads will be the
responsibility of the property owner unless the they are currently on the
FSCSD lighting account or the Board has previously agreed to pay for them.
The Board will consider requests for changes to lights on private roads if
for reasons of public safety and other guidelines within this policy.
This policy is supported by a letter from the
Pinellas County Attorney's
Office dated June 10th 2004.
·
The purpose of streetlights is to light the street safely
for vehicular traffic and to provide some level of security to the
property owner. Streetlights are not intended as security lighting,
although homes, which border closely to the street sometimes benefit from
the illumination of that side of the house fronting on the street. If the
homeowner requires additional security lighting, it would be necessary to
install those privately.
Existing Streetlights
The FSCSD was formed in 1990. Since that time there has
been no written policy for the siting of streetlights. As a result there
are now some inconsistencies in the placement of streetlights. In past
years the Board has approved requests for changes to the streetlights with
addition of lights on private roads, in commercial areas and in areas
where lights are otherwise maintained by a Feather Sound homeowners
association. With the adoption of this policy the Board agrees to
maintain these lights for as long as the existing use and ownership of the
property areas adjacent to the streetlights remains unchanged. If
ownership or use of a property area changes such as in the case of
annexation or new construction the FSCSD may reevaluate its maintenance of
lights in that area and make changes as appropriate.
Maintenance
Florida Progress is responsible for maintenance
of the streetlights. Streetlights that are not working properly or are out
should be reported by calling 1-800-228-8485, menu selection 5. It is
helpful to have the pole number or street address of the light needing
repair. This is the only way lights will be fixed. Florida Progresses does
not monitor streetlights and will fix only those problems that are
reported.
You can also request a repair online
Requesting a Change
In order to request a change to the street
lighting, the applicant must be a legal resident of and/or own property in
the community. The request must be written and can be mailed the FSCSD
postal address at 2655 Ulmerton Road Box 266, Clearwater, FL 33762 or sent
by email to
webmaster@feathersound.org. Where underground wiring does not currently
exist, the FSCSD may request that additional underground costs, must be
paid by property owner(s) prior to authorization of the expense of
installation. If the change requested is within an active homeowners
association the request must be first approved by a vote of the
homeowner’s association board. A copy of the approved meeting minutes must
accompany the request. In areas where there are no active homeowners
associations the request must be signed by a majority of the property
owners within the area affected by the change.
Notification of Residents and Businesses
Whenever possible it will be the practice of the Board to
notify property owners of a pending change in street lighting in their
area prior to final approval by the Board of a change. This notification
may be by mail, telephone or other means as the Board determines to be
appropriate and with adequate time to allow property owners to respond to
the change as needed.
Change Approval
The FSCSD Board shall review all requests for for street
lighting. The decision of the Board shall be based on the recommendations
of the lighting committee. The decision on the type of streetlight
to be sited shall consider, public safety, cost and consistency with the
general character of the neighborhood. The Board reserved the right
to determine the area affected by change requests and whether a majority
of affected property owners have agreed to the change. The Board may at
its discretion approve or deny a request that does not meet this criteria
if there are other overriding considerations such as public safety, costs
or any other changes that would be inconsistent with this policy.
Annexation Areas
If any area which has street lights paid for by the FSCSD
is annexed the Board may consider the transfer of those lights to the
annexing municipality.
Effective Date
By a majority vote of the FSCSD Board members this policy
will serve as a guide in the funding and siting of streetlights in the tax
district. Issues regarding the application and interpretation of this
policy shall be determined by a majority of the Board. This policy will be
revised as needed by a majority vote of the Board.
Approved and adopted by the Feather Sound Community
Services District Board of Directors this 17th day of August, 2004. |