Things are looking a lot brighter in the Village of Churchville thanks to a $50,000 state grant which enabled the village to upgrade its decorative street lights.
Churchville Mayor Nancy Steedman says 100 decorative lights in the business district – Buffalo Road east and west, Main Street south and north, Fitch Street, the Commons parking lot, and the Village Office parking lot, have been changed to LED lights.
That means former 150 watt light bulbs are now 45 watt LED light bulbs, “saving two-thirds in energy costs,” the mayor says. That 60 percent savings is passed on directly to village taxpayers and municipal electric ratepayers, Mayor Steedman adds.
The change to LED was accomplished without having to change the light poles. “It’s a nicer light,” Mayor Steedman says, “it adds to driver safety at night.”
The grant came from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY); the source of funding is the State and Municipal Facilities (SAM) Program, Mayor Steedman says.
The grant was secured by New York State Senator Mike Ranzenhofer, who visited Churchville July 26 to see installation of LED fixtures in decorative streetlights located in the Village Office parking lot.
He called the upgrade a, “win/win/win … with the cost savings the upgrade will eventually pay for itself,” Ranzenhofer said. He concurred with the mayor that savings on electric costs also mean savings for taxpayers and municipal electric customers in the village.
The upgrade to LED is, “also good for the environment,” Mayor Steedman observed.
