BSC mulls lighting concerns

By ALEX STRICKLAND Bigfork Eagle

The Bigfork Steering Committee heard from a resident concerned about light pollution at their Thursday meeting and passed a motion to get the neighborhood plan draft out for approval as quickly as possible.

Drew Hubatsek, a local contractor, spoke to the committee about his concerns over light pollution and its affects on health and happiness. He proposed making a push in the community to get rid of outdated mercury vapor lights in favor of more directed and efficient methods.

Citing an ordinance passed in Kalispell and other measures being considered in Whitefish, Missoula and elsewhere, Hubatsek said that better lighting saves money and protects views valuable to us all.

“It preserves the view of the night sky,” he said. “That’s especially important here in Big Sky Country.”

Though Bigfork cannot pass an ordinance requiring such standards, BSC members discussed the possibility of including some sort of voluntary compliance measures in the neighborhood plan.

In other business a motion was passed to send the neighborhood plan draft to the Bigfork Land Use Advisory Committee for their consideration as soon as the last bits of pertinent information are completed. The BSC is waiting for member Shelley Gonzales and BJ Greive of the County Planing Office to compile date for a current land use map.

BSC Chairman Craig Wagner said he hopes they can get the plan to BLUAC within the next month.

Next week’s Steering Committee meeting is the community forum. BSC meetings are at noon on Thursdays in the basement of Bethany Lutheran Church on Bridge Street.