A recent Roanoke Times editorial suggests Montgomery County governments band together to fight light pollution, with each locality adopting strong ordinances applicable to both public and private outdoor lights.
A valid point is eliminating waste by using smarter applications and saving energy, especially by replacing fixtures which produce more glare than light and shifting to low-pressure sodium ones.
A grand example of what's viewable to the naked eye at night is seen in this photograph of the Milky Way by Wally Pacholka (mentioned in the editorial as rarely visible in the towns). Another example listed is Hawaii's Mauna Kea observatories.
Even if such an approach were to be taken in Montgomery County, we doubt this change would contribute much to draw tourists to the region. Especially when you have competition like the Big Island or Devil's Tower.
The construction of the 460-Bypass would have been a good place to begin with better planning of types and placement of lighting -- and stuff that works (on at night, off during the day), but there must have been a sale on fixtures or a certain amount of VDOT funds were available only if spent on non-solar lighting purchases. Thank goodness the electric rates we're charged for all this lighting as taxpayers have been held in check.
What a pie-in-the-sky concept; light ordinances.
In Christians-burg, they won't even adopt a noise ordinance. People might be offended by the ice-cream truck's bell (seen any of those cruising neighborhoods lately?). Related noise complaints are addressed just fine under existing nuisance laws. Been that way for near about 200 years, you know.
Yeah, right. That's such an effective strategy it allows the Kiwanis Lane drag strip to operate unchecked. Visit it regularly because the events are unscheduled. While you're there, check out the pit area and view all the unlicensed vehicles (not to be confused with an illegal junkyard).
Christians-burg's solid nuisance ordinance is so well known and enforced that's why certain unmuffled vehicles drive through town without revving engines, especially within one mile of the Sheriff's Office and town Police Department -- these drivers know if they crank it up in this town they'll get pulled over for being a nuisance. Sure.
Light ordinance? Noise ordinance? Save energy, reduce taxpayer costs? A valuable component to a viable tourism strategy with Montgomery localities banding together to best serve residents?
Yeah, right. Keep searching the night skies, and try to find that universe.