The Seal Beach City Council unanimously approved the plans for the Main Street lighting project Monday, March 11. The audience applauded the vote.
Eighteen residents spoke in favor of the project. No one opposed it.
The decision included awarding a construction contract for $454,938 to Flatiron Electric Group, Inc.
The city has allocated $688,000 to light the three-block business district that runs from Pacific Coast Highway to Ocean Avenue.
A staff report estimates the project will cost $590,483.
The project was originally placed on the Consent Calendar, but was pulled for further discussion by Mayor Gary Miller, who represents College Park East. Consent calendar items are passed unanimously without discussion unless they are removed at the request of a council member or a citizen.
Main Street is located in Old Town, which is represented by Councilwoman Ellery Deaton.
Main Street has 19 lights mounted 28 feet above the ground, according to the staff report by Sean Crumby, assistant city manager and director of Public Works.
“The lighting is not optimally suited to be surrounded by mature trees, is not best suited to aid pedestrian traffic, and does not aesthetically match the character of Main Street,” Crumby wrote.
The Main Street landscaping plan calls for a canopy of trees to cover the street.
“The Main Street Lighting Project will remove all existing Southern California Edison owned light poles on Main Street from Pacific Coast Highway to Ocean Avenue and install 40 new light poles,” said Crumby’s report.
“The new light poles were selected by the public from a meeting held on February 29, 2012,” said the report.
Eighteen individuals told the council they supported the Main Street lighting project.
Brian Kyle, owner of O’Malley’s On Main, was one of several who said said the project was a long time coming.
He said that he was on the Main Street Specific Plan Committee in 1982 and the subject of lighting on Main Street was discussed. He said he put a street light in front of O’Malley’s as a demonstration to the city.
Kyle said he had brown hair back then. His hair is white now.
Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce President Deb Machen said lighting on Main Street would encourage later business hours and bring more revenue to the city.
“I understand that there has been some discussion about whether this is a worthy project,” Machen said.
She said the lighting plan was a worthy project.
“A well-lit Main Street is a safe Main Street,” Machen said.
Esther Kenyon, also representing the Chamber of Commerce, said she had collected 64 signatures from business people in favor of lighting on Main Street.
Mayor Miller asked how much undesignated money the city had available.
Finance Director Victoria Beatley said $9.3 million.
Miller said there were many businesses at night on the 100 block of Main Street, but only five on the 200 block.
He also said the 300 block had a different character than the rest of Main Street.
Councilwoman Deaton said the city would get a higher caliber of business on Main Street with improved lighting.
Deaton moved approval of the project, which was followed by a unanimous vote.
Construction is expected to start after Memorial Day 2013.
Seal Beach received nine bids for the project.
The lowest bid was submitted by Flatiron Electric Group.
